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{ "$oid": "68bace80eb3bdbfd0cc00249" }	8125d9731a5fbfe15583db117c14aeb02ffa1f260a399f6419cd8614b6429cf9	"I’ve prepped my Christmas dinner and it's not even December" If you’re in charge of Christmas dinner this year and have resigned yourself to spending hours in the kitchen on the big day, making dozens of dishes for your family, we’re here to tell you there is another way. That is, if you like being prepared. Image source, Bee Holmes Photography https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0k5t359.jpg Kate Hall has already prepped her Christmas dinner months before the big day Kate Hall, TV food waste expert and author of The Full Freezer Method, thinks it's worth getting in early on the Christmas food preparation. Really early. “I’ve prepped my 2024 Christmas dinner, and it’s not even December. I’ve got two small meat joints, a turkey crown, a gammon, pigs in blankets, stuffing balls, potatoes, parsnips, carrots, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, white sauce, broccoli and green beans,” she said. And it all fits in one deep drawer, thanks to her top freezer organisation. Kate wants to spend as little time in the kitchen as possible on the big day. She’s got the Christmas dinner cooking time down to just two hours, with a minimum of washing up. “I’ll turn the oven on around 11 o'clock and we’ll eat around 1 o'clock,” she said. Kate's tips on getting ahead can save you time too, if you've got the freezer space. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0k5t643.jpg Kate Hall's prep fits in just one deep freezer drawer The potatoes If you make roast potatoes between now and the 25th December, par-boil twice the amount you need and freeze the extras so they're ready to cook from frozen on Christmas Day. “I peel, chop and boil the potatoes for five minutes,” said Kate, who then shakes the pan to fluff up the edges, drizzles over oil and spreads the potatoes out onto a baking tray to cool completely. Put the whole tray in to freeze for one to two hours, with the potatoes separated so they don’t stick together, then transfer them to a reusable sealed bag freezer bag. On Christmas Day, heat a tablespoon or two of oil or goose fat in a roasting tray until it’s piping hot. Carefully add the frozen potatoes with some optional rosemary and whole garlic cloves (which can both be frozen too!) and bake as normal, for around one hour at 190C/170C Fan. Give vegetables the chop Who wants to be chopping carrots on Christmas Day when there's presents to open and carols to sing? “All of the veg is peeled, chopped and blanched before freezing, but it's not cooked,” said Kate. Blanching means putting the vegetables into boiling water for 1-2 minutes before cooling them quickly in iced water. This process helps the vegetables retain their colour, texture and taste when they are frozen. The vegetables are spread on to baking trays, frozen, then popped into sealed bags. “The carrots and parsnips will be honey-roasted,” she said. On Christmas Day, she will toss the root veg in salt, pepper honey and oil before roasting until soft, sticky and caramelised, around 45 minutes. The root veg can also be steamed if you don’t have room in your oven. Broccoli and green beans can be boiled or steamed from frozen, but you should reduce the cooking time by how long they were blanched for. “Roasting frozen Brussels sprouts is best,” said Kate, as boiling can give a soggy, chewy result. “Don't defrost the vegetables,” says Kate, as fruits and vegetables are much better cooked from frozen. Sublime sides Arguably, the best part of the Christmas dinner is the most work. The variety and number of side dishes is a matter of personal taste, but quite a few can be organised ahead so you have maximum flavours and leftovers. Yorkshire puddings freeze really well. Of course, you can buy them ready frozen, but there is nothing like a homemade Yorkshire made to your liking. After cooking a batch, cool them on a wire rack so they don't get soggy. Freeze on a tray, then stack the puddings and store in a sealed bag. Just pop the frozen Yorkshires on to a hot oven tray for 5-10 minutes before serving. Make-ahead stuffing can be frozen as balls, loose in a bag or in a freezer-to-oven dish. If you want to stuff the bird, defrost the stuffing overnight in the fridge. Sage, onion and sausage stuffing balls can be cooked from frozen alongside the bird or on a tray. If you’re looking for a veggie stuffing, this one without the sausage is for you. Cauliflower cheese is a huge favourite for many, but seems like quite a lot of effort to make on Christmas morning. Not for Kate Hall, who makes and freezes a white sauce ahead. Defrost the sauce in the fridge overnight, then stir in frozen cauliflower florets and put straight in the baking dish, topping with grated cheese. Bake until bubbly, hot and golden-brown. Christmas red cabbage is one of those dishes that tastes even better when made ahead of time. Freeze after making and defrost overnight before heating through on the hob or in the microwave. Pigs in blankets can be wrapped and frozen before cooking.Most sausages can be cooked from frozen, just check the packet for instructions. If you buy them from a butcher, bake alongside the roast potatoes until crisp outside and piping hot, (the centre should be at least 70C for two minutes). The meat You can buy frozen turkey, or freeze a fresh one yourself. “I get turkey crowns as they fit in the freezer and fridge easier,” said Kate. “I’ve also got a small gammon in the freezer ready to be defrosted and cooked,” she said. You can also freeze cooked ham, sliced, popping baking paper between each slice to stop it sticking together. You shouldn’t refreeze ham after it’s been defrosted, so bring on the sandwiches. The best way to freeze uncooked meat is in its original packaging. If it’s not well-wrapped, wrap in clingfilm and then kitchen foil and place in an air-tight freezer bag, squeezing out as much air as you can to avoid freezer burn. Turkey and gammon need to be thoroughly defrosted before cooking, ideally in the bottom of your fridge. For a turkey, you'll need to allow 8 to 12 hours per kilogram. It could take a couple of days so make sure you get it out in time! For turkey and other Christmas meat cooking instructions, use our roasting calculator. Essential sauces Making gravy from scratch might be a matter of minutes after the roast is finished, but making good gravy starts with a good stock. Use the giblets to make turkey gravy, or visit your butcher to score some chicken carcasses or beef bones, depending on your Christmas main course. Cooking stock is easy in a slow-cooker or pressure cooker, and only requires hands-off time on the hob. Defrost the stock overnight in the fridge and use in your gravy with all those tasty roasting tin bits. You can go the whole way and freeze our make-ahead Christmas gravy recipe. Cranberry sauce can be kept in the fridge for a week or frozen if made further in advance. It tastes even more delicious when the flavours are left to mingle for a while. If freezing, defrost in the fridge for 24 hours before serving. Sweet stuff For deliciously festive make-ahead mince pies, it’s best to freeze them raw in a bun tray (pop them out into a box when they’re solid) and then cook them, back in the bun tray, from frozen. Just increase the cooking time of your frozen mince pies by 5 minutes. Christmas cake and Christmas pudding can be kept for months without freezing. It's best to make these early to feed with alcohol, such as brandy, and allow the flavours to develop. Freezing dos and don'ts “Between 8C and 63C is referred to as the ‘food danger zone’," said Kate, when bacteria can rapidly multiply. If you have cooked something and are not planning to eat it immediately, "you need to cool it quickly and get it into the fridge or freezer within two hours. Do not put hot food in the fridge or freezer though, as it will raise the temperature and put other food at risk," she said. Defrost food on a plate at the bottom on the fridge and then use within 24 hours of it being defrosted. You can also defrost food in the microwave, if you have an adaquate defrost setting (make sure you remove any packaging). Follow the manufacturing instructions and you need to cook microwaved-defrosted food immediately, as it is in the danger zone temperature. If you're unsure, refer to the Food Standards Agency guide.	{ "data_info": { "lang": "en-GB", "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/christmas_prep", "type": "HowTo", "processing_date": "2025-09-05T00:00:00", "delivery_version": "v1.0", "title": "\"I’ve prepped my Christmas dinner and it's not even December\"", "content": "If you’re in charge of Christmas dinner this year and have resigned yourself to spending hours in the kitchen on the big day, making dozens of dishes for your family, we’re here to tell you there is another way. That is, if you like being prepared. Image source, Bee Holmes Photography https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0k5t359.jpg Kate Hall has already prepped her Christmas dinner months before the big day Kate Hall, TV food waste expert and author of The Full Freezer Method, thinks it's worth getting in early on the Christmas food preparation. Really early. “I’ve prepped my 2024 Christmas dinner, and it’s not even December. I’ve got two small meat joints, a turkey crown, a gammon, pigs in blankets, stuffing balls, potatoes, parsnips, carrots, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, white sauce, broccoli and green beans,” she said. And it all fits in one deep drawer, thanks to her top freezer organisation. Kate wants to spend as little time in the kitchen as possible on the big day. She’s got the Christmas dinner cooking time down to just two hours, with a minimum of washing up. “I’ll turn the oven on around 11 o'clock and we’ll eat around 1 o'clock,” she said. Kate's tips on getting ahead can save you time too, if you've got the freezer space. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0k5t643.jpg Kate Hall's prep fits in just one deep freezer drawer The potatoes If you make roast potatoes between now and the 25th December, par-boil twice the amount you need and freeze the extras so they're ready to cook from frozen on Christmas Day. “I peel, chop and boil the potatoes for five minutes,” said Kate, who then shakes the pan to fluff up the edges, drizzles over oil and spreads the potatoes out onto a baking tray to cool completely. Put the whole tray in to freeze for one to two hours, with the potatoes separated so they don’t stick together, then transfer them to a reusable sealed bag freezer bag. On Christmas Day, heat a tablespoon or two of oil or goose fat in a roasting tray until it’s piping hot. Carefully add the frozen potatoes with some optional rosemary and whole garlic cloves (which can both be frozen too!) and bake as normal, for around one hour at 190C/170C Fan. Give vegetables the chop Who wants to be chopping carrots on Christmas Day when there's presents to open and carols to sing? “All of the veg is peeled, chopped and blanched before freezing, but it's not cooked,” said Kate. Blanching means putting the vegetables into boiling water for 1-2 minutes before cooling them quickly in iced water. This process helps the vegetables retain their colour, texture and taste when they are frozen. The vegetables are spread on to baking trays, frozen, then popped into sealed bags. “The carrots and parsnips will be honey-roasted,” she said. On Christmas Day, she will toss the root veg in salt, pepper honey and oil before roasting until soft, sticky and caramelised, around 45 minutes. The root veg can also be steamed if you don’t have room in your oven. Broccoli and green beans can be boiled or steamed from frozen, but you should reduce the cooking time by how long they were blanched for. “Roasting frozen Brussels sprouts is best,” said Kate, as boiling can give a soggy, chewy result. “Don't defrost the vegetables,” says Kate, as fruits and vegetables are much better cooked from frozen. Sublime sides Arguably, the best part of the Christmas dinner is the most work. The variety and number of side dishes is a matter of personal taste, but quite a few can be organised ahead so you have maximum flavours and leftovers. Yorkshire puddings freeze really well. Of course, you can buy them ready frozen, but there is nothing like a homemade Yorkshire made to your liking. After cooking a batch, cool them on a wire rack so they don't get soggy. Freeze on a tray, then stack the puddings and store in a sealed bag. Just pop the frozen Yorkshires on to a hot oven tray for 5-10 minutes before serving. Make-ahead stuffing can be frozen as balls, loose in a bag or in a freezer-to-oven dish. If you want to stuff the bird, defrost the stuffing overnight in the fridge. Sage, onion and sausage stuffing balls can be cooked from frozen alongside the bird or on a tray. If you’re looking for a veggie stuffing, this one without the sausage is for you. Cauliflower cheese is a huge favourite for many, but seems like quite a lot of effort to make on Christmas morning. Not for Kate Hall, who makes and freezes a white sauce ahead. Defrost the sauce in the fridge overnight, then stir in frozen cauliflower florets and put straight in the baking dish, topping with grated cheese. Bake until bubbly, hot and golden-brown. Christmas red cabbage is one of those dishes that tastes even better when made ahead of time. Freeze after making and defrost overnight before heating through on the hob or in the microwave. Pigs in blankets can be wrapped and frozen before cooking.Most sausages can be cooked from frozen, just check the packet for instructions. If you buy them from a butcher, bake alongside the roast potatoes until crisp outside and piping hot, (the centre should be at least 70C for two minutes). The meat You can buy frozen turkey, or freeze a fresh one yourself. “I get turkey crowns as they fit in the freezer and fridge easier,” said Kate. “I’ve also got a small gammon in the freezer ready to be defrosted and cooked,” she said. You can also freeze cooked ham, sliced, popping baking paper between each slice to stop it sticking together. You shouldn’t refreeze ham after it’s been defrosted, so bring on the sandwiches. The best way to freeze uncooked meat is in its original packaging. If it’s not well-wrapped, wrap in clingfilm and then kitchen foil and place in an air-tight freezer bag, squeezing out as much air as you can to avoid freezer burn. Turkey and gammon need to be thoroughly defrosted before cooking, ideally in the bottom of your fridge. For a turkey, you'll need to allow 8 to 12 hours per kilogram. It could take a couple of days so make sure you get it out in time! For turkey and other Christmas meat cooking instructions, use our roasting calculator. Essential sauces Making gravy from scratch might be a matter of minutes after the roast is finished, but making good gravy starts with a good stock. Use the giblets to make turkey gravy, or visit your butcher to score some chicken carcasses or beef bones, depending on your Christmas main course. Cooking stock is easy in a slow-cooker or pressure cooker, and only requires hands-off time on the hob. Defrost the stock overnight in the fridge and use in your gravy with all those tasty roasting tin bits. You can go the whole way and freeze our make-ahead Christmas gravy recipe. Cranberry sauce can be kept in the fridge for a week or frozen if made further in advance. It tastes even more delicious when the flavours are left to mingle for a while. If freezing, defrost in the fridge for 24 hours before serving. Sweet stuff For deliciously festive make-ahead mince pies, it’s best to freeze them raw in a bun tray (pop them out into a box when they’re solid) and then cook them, back in the bun tray, from frozen. Just increase the cooking time of your frozen mince pies by 5 minutes. Christmas cake and Christmas pudding can be kept for months without freezing. It's best to make these early to feed with alcohol, such as brandy, and allow the flavours to develop. Freezing dos and don'ts “Between 8C and 63C is referred to as the ‘food danger zone’,\" said Kate, when bacteria can rapidly multiply. If you have cooked something and are not planning to eat it immediately, \"you need to cool it quickly and get it into the fridge or freezer within two hours. Do not put hot food in the fridge or freezer though, as it will raise the temperature and put other food at risk,\" she said. Defrost food on a plate at the bottom on the fridge and then use within 24 hours of it being defrosted. You can also defrost food in the microwave, if you have an adaquate defrost setting (make sure you remove any packaging). Follow the manufacturing instructions and you need to cook microwaved-defrosted food immediately, as it is in the danger zone temperature. If you're unsure, refer to the Food Standards Agency guide." }, "content_info": { "domain": "Food & Cooking", "subdomain": "Recipes" } }
{ "$oid": "68bace80eb3bdbfd0cc0024a" }	c0c874d5fc706cbc706f46fcaa69124cc7bd6a0b8156b4e639e442eb5d2f02f2	8 (sometimes surprising) foods that make you fart https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p07cv0td.jpg There are some places where having flatulance is less than ideal. Farting is normal – the average person does it 5-15 times a day. In fact, having a lot of gas on a particular day might actually be a sign of good health, if you forget about any discomfort or embarrassment caused. That's because the foods that create farts tend to be heart-healthy, fibre-packed complex carbs, which your body can't break down but the bacteria in your gut can. So which foods make you fart, which make your farts smelly, and when should you consult your doctor? 1. Fatty foods, including pork and beef Fatty foods slow down digestion, which can leave them festering in your gut, fermenting and getting pongy. Fatty meats are doubly tricky because they are rich in the amino acid methionine, which contains sulphur. Sulphur is broken down by your gut bacteria into hydrogen sulphide – that lovely rotten egg smell – and ‘enhances’ the odour of gas produced by other foods you eat as well as the meat. 2. Beans Beans and lentils contain lots of fibre, but they also contain raffinose, a complex sugar that we don’t process well. These sugars make their way to the intestine, where your gut goes to town using them for energy, resulting in hydrogen, methane and even smelly sulphur. 3. Eggs Contrary to popular belief, eggs don't make most of us fart. But they do contain sulphur-packed methionine. So if you don't want smelly farts, don't eat eggs alongside fart-causing foods such as beans or fatty meats. If eggs make you bloated and give you wind, you may be intolerant to them or have an allergy. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0k3x1kb.jpg A breakfast of beans, eggs and fatty meat could produce some smelly farts. 4. Onions Onions, artichokes, garlic and leeks all contain fructans – carbs that can cause gas and bloating. 5. Dairy Dairy from cows and goats contains lactose, a sugar that can cause gas to build up. On top of that, about 65 percent of the world's adult population has a degree of intolerance to lactose, and eating dairy can leave them feeling bloated and gassy. 6. Wheat and wholegrains Gas-making fructans and farty fibre are found in grains, such as oats and wheat products, so bread, pasta and wholegrains can lead to wind. On top of this, some wholegrains, such as wheat, barley and rye, contain gluten. If you have a gluten intolerance you may experience gas and bloating after eating foods containing it. 7. Broccoli, cauli and cabbage Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, sprouts, kale and other green leafy veg are super-high in fibre and this can all be a bit too much for your body to digest. But the bacteria in your gut loves to utilise it for energy, and this results in gas. Many of these cruciferous veg also contain sulphur, and you know all about the smell that can lead to. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0k3x1r4.jpg Cauliflower cheese with onions could lead to bothersome gassiness. 8. Fruits Many fruits, such as apples, mangoes and pears, are high in the natural sugar fructose. In addition, some apples and pears are loaded with fibre. A number of people find fructose difficult to digest and might get gassy from eating these sweet treats because they can't break down the sugars properly. However, fructose intolerance isn’t as common as lactose intolerance. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0k3x1yq.jpg Can you stop farting? Fruit, vegetables and pulses can cause gas, but eating several portions of these a day is much more important than eliminating wind. If you don’t already eat fibrous foods, increasing the amount you eat too quickly might make you uncomfortable. Add fibre to your diet slowly to stop adverse effects. Staying hydrated reduces the risk of constipation, which can cause excess gas. If a stool remains in your gut, it will continue to ferment, producing extra gas that can smell particularly foul. Try to have a drink with every meal and keep hydrated throughout the day. The NHS also recommends drinking peppermint tea to relieve gas and bloating. Fizzy drinks contain gas, and if you drink a lot of them you'll probably burp and fart more than if you don’t. The same goes for chewing gum or guzzling down a bowl of soup or cereal with a spoon. If you ingest air, it has to go somewhere. Should you be concerned? In most cases, gas is not a cause for concern. Many benign causes of gas do not require evaluation or treatment. In some cases, excessive gas may be a sign of a more severe underlying condition, so if you are concerned consult a doctor. Smelly wind can also be a side-effect of some medicines.	{ "data_info": { "lang": "en-GB", "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/why_food_makes_you_fart", "type": "HowTo", "processing_date": "2025-09-05T00:00:00", "delivery_version": "v1.0", "title": "8 (sometimes surprising) foods that make you fart", "content": "https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p07cv0td.jpg There are some places where having flatulance is less than ideal. Farting is normal – the average person does it 5-15 times a day. In fact, having a lot of gas on a particular day might actually be a sign of good health, if you forget about any discomfort or embarrassment caused. That's because the foods that create farts tend to be heart-healthy, fibre-packed complex carbs, which your body can't break down but the bacteria in your gut can. So which foods make you fart, which make your farts smelly, and when should you consult your doctor? 1. Fatty foods, including pork and beef Fatty foods slow down digestion, which can leave them festering in your gut, fermenting and getting pongy. Fatty meats are doubly tricky because they are rich in the amino acid methionine, which contains sulphur. Sulphur is broken down by your gut bacteria into hydrogen sulphide – that lovely rotten egg smell – and ‘enhances’ the odour of gas produced by other foods you eat as well as the meat. 2. Beans Beans and lentils contain lots of fibre, but they also contain raffinose, a complex sugar that we don’t process well. These sugars make their way to the intestine, where your gut goes to town using them for energy, resulting in hydrogen, methane and even smelly sulphur. 3. Eggs Contrary to popular belief, eggs don't make most of us fart. But they do contain sulphur-packed methionine. So if you don't want smelly farts, don't eat eggs alongside fart-causing foods such as beans or fatty meats. If eggs make you bloated and give you wind, you may be intolerant to them or have an allergy. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0k3x1kb.jpg A breakfast of beans, eggs and fatty meat could produce some smelly farts. 4. Onions Onions, artichokes, garlic and leeks all contain fructans – carbs that can cause gas and bloating. 5. Dairy Dairy from cows and goats contains lactose, a sugar that can cause gas to build up. On top of that, about 65 percent of the world's adult population has a degree of intolerance to lactose, and eating dairy can leave them feeling bloated and gassy. 6. Wheat and wholegrains Gas-making fructans and farty fibre are found in grains, such as oats and wheat products, so bread, pasta and wholegrains can lead to wind. On top of this, some wholegrains, such as wheat, barley and rye, contain gluten. If you have a gluten intolerance you may experience gas and bloating after eating foods containing it. 7. Broccoli, cauli and cabbage Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, sprouts, kale and other green leafy veg are super-high in fibre and this can all be a bit too much for your body to digest. But the bacteria in your gut loves to utilise it for energy, and this results in gas. Many of these cruciferous veg also contain sulphur, and you know all about the smell that can lead to. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0k3x1r4.jpg Cauliflower cheese with onions could lead to bothersome gassiness. 8. Fruits Many fruits, such as apples, mangoes and pears, are high in the natural sugar fructose. In addition, some apples and pears are loaded with fibre. A number of people find fructose difficult to digest and might get gassy from eating these sweet treats because they can't break down the sugars properly. However, fructose intolerance isn’t as common as lactose intolerance. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0k3x1yq.jpg Can you stop farting? Fruit, vegetables and pulses can cause gas, but eating several portions of these a day is much more important than eliminating wind. If you don’t already eat fibrous foods, increasing the amount you eat too quickly might make you uncomfortable. Add fibre to your diet slowly to stop adverse effects. Staying hydrated reduces the risk of constipation, which can cause excess gas. If a stool remains in your gut, it will continue to ferment, producing extra gas that can smell particularly foul. Try to have a drink with every meal and keep hydrated throughout the day. The NHS also recommends drinking peppermint tea to relieve gas and bloating. Fizzy drinks contain gas, and if you drink a lot of them you'll probably burp and fart more than if you don’t. The same goes for chewing gum or guzzling down a bowl of soup or cereal with a spoon. If you ingest air, it has to go somewhere. Should you be concerned? In most cases, gas is not a cause for concern. Many benign causes of gas do not require evaluation or treatment. In some cases, excessive gas may be a sign of a more severe underlying condition, so if you are concerned consult a doctor. Smelly wind can also be a side-effect of some medicines." }, "content_info": { "domain": "Food & Cooking", "subdomain": "Recipes" } }
{ "$oid": "68bace81eb3bdbfd0cc0024b" }	69ffdcdedb52948d55d8e20992f4a8240076419895bbc4adc2bd4f217a1cdb3d	Does cooking kill the vitamins in your food? Vegetables are always more nutritious when eaten raw, right? In reality, while cooking can cause the loss of some vitamins and minerals, it can also make it easier for your body to absorb them. So which veg are best eaten raw – and when should you get cooking? Which veg are best eaten raw? Cooking can reduce the nutritional content of veg. It can be a particular problem with vitamin C and the B vitamins and minerals like potassium, because they are water-soluble and so leach out into cooking water. That's fine in soups and stews because you consume the water, but it's a problem if you throw the water away. Kale, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, courgettes, spinach and peas have a good amount of these vitamins. Heat also degrades these vitamins, so cook veg that are rich in them gently and in as little water as possible. Steaming, microwaving and stir frying are better options than boiling. The good news is that many foods we usually eat raw are rich in vitamin C and the B vits (such as watercress, peppers, spinach, tomatoes and lettuce), so a balanced diet will provide you with plenty of them. Which veg are best eaten cooked? Some veg are more nutritious when cooked because cooking breaks down their cells, which can allow you to absorb more of the nutrients even if some have leached out during cooking. This is true of beta-carotene (a precursor to vitamin A, found in carrots, butternut squash and sweet potatoes) and other carotenoids, such as lycopene, which is found in tomatoes. Starches and proteins are easier to digest when cooked. If you're considering a raw food diet, keep in mind that some starchy foods such as potatoes can't be eaten raw, so including cooked foods increases the variety of your diet. Cooking also improves the flavour of many veg, and if this makes you more likely to eat them it's worth losing some nutrients! Get the low-down on which foods are best eaten raw or cooked in this quick video from vlogger Grace Victory. Shredding your raw veg Thinly shredding veg is a great way to make it taste delicious when raw. Use a spiraliser, a peeler, or just cut it into thin matchsticks with a knife. Raw food diets Raw food diets have gained popularity in recent years, with pretty pictures of smoothie bowls and naked treats all over social media. Like many extreme diets, it takes a kernel of truth and expands it into a whole lifestyle. A raw food diet unsurprisingly involves eating only raw foods. But defining 'raw' is more complicated than you might expect. Proponents of a raw food diet define it as unprocessed and not reaching temperatures higher than 40-48C. The strictest versions exclude foods that have been refined, pasteurised, treated with pesticides or processed in any way. Heat is not the only way to cook food. Marinades (containing acids, such as vinegar or lemon juice) are a form of chemical cooking and also change the chemical structure of food. Disadvantages of a raw food diet It's restrictive and can make eating out difficult.As the variety of foods eaten is limited, it can lack nutrients and energy. It is particularly difficult to get enough protein, vitamin B12 and iron on a strict raw food diet.It can be hard to know how to get the best from your ingredients. Some raw foods provide enough nutrients when eaten whole, while chopping and puréeing others mean they can release more nutrients.Maximum nutrition doesn’t always correlate with optimum flavour.Some foods are more nutritious when eaten cooked. It's restrictive and can make eating out difficult. As the variety of foods eaten is limited, it can lack nutrients and energy. It is particularly difficult to get enough protein, vitamin B12 and iron on a strict raw food diet. It can be hard to know how to get the best from your ingredients. Some raw foods provide enough nutrients when eaten whole, while chopping and puréeing others mean they can release more nutrients. Maximum nutrition doesn’t always correlate with optimum flavour. Some foods are more nutritious when eaten cooked. Advantages of a raw food diet It’s beneficial to eat some raw foods, such as fresh fruit and salads, because they contain higher levels of some vitamins.Raw food can be quick and simple to prepare. It’s beneficial to eat some raw foods, such as fresh fruit and salads, because they contain higher levels of some vitamins. Raw food can be quick and simple to prepare. Originally published August 2019	{ "data_info": { "lang": "en-GB", "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/raw_versus_cooked", "type": "HowTo", "processing_date": "2025-09-05T00:00:00", "delivery_version": "v1.0", "title": "Does cooking kill the vitamins in your food?", "content": "Vegetables are always more nutritious when eaten raw, right? In reality, while cooking can cause the loss of some vitamins and minerals, it can also make it easier for your body to absorb them. So which veg are best eaten raw – and when should you get cooking? Which veg are best eaten raw? Cooking can reduce the nutritional content of veg. It can be a particular problem with vitamin C and the B vitamins and minerals like potassium, because they are water-soluble and so leach out into cooking water. That's fine in soups and stews because you consume the water, but it's a problem if you throw the water away. Kale, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, courgettes, spinach and peas have a good amount of these vitamins. Heat also degrades these vitamins, so cook veg that are rich in them gently and in as little water as possible. Steaming, microwaving and stir frying are better options than boiling. The good news is that many foods we usually eat raw are rich in vitamin C and the B vits (such as watercress, peppers, spinach, tomatoes and lettuce), so a balanced diet will provide you with plenty of them. Which veg are best eaten cooked? Some veg are more nutritious when cooked because cooking breaks down their cells, which can allow you to absorb more of the nutrients even if some have leached out during cooking. This is true of beta-carotene (a precursor to vitamin A, found in carrots, butternut squash and sweet potatoes) and other carotenoids, such as lycopene, which is found in tomatoes. Starches and proteins are easier to digest when cooked. If you're considering a raw food diet, keep in mind that some starchy foods such as potatoes can't be eaten raw, so including cooked foods increases the variety of your diet. Cooking also improves the flavour of many veg, and if this makes you more likely to eat them it's worth losing some nutrients! Get the low-down on which foods are best eaten raw or cooked in this quick video from vlogger Grace Victory. Shredding your raw veg Thinly shredding veg is a great way to make it taste delicious when raw. Use a spiraliser, a peeler, or just cut it into thin matchsticks with a knife. Raw food diets Raw food diets have gained popularity in recent years, with pretty pictures of smoothie bowls and naked treats all over social media. Like many extreme diets, it takes a kernel of truth and expands it into a whole lifestyle. A raw food diet unsurprisingly involves eating only raw foods. But defining 'raw' is more complicated than you might expect. Proponents of a raw food diet define it as unprocessed and not reaching temperatures higher than 40-48C. The strictest versions exclude foods that have been refined, pasteurised, treated with pesticides or processed in any way. Heat is not the only way to cook food. Marinades (containing acids, such as vinegar or lemon juice) are a form of chemical cooking and also change the chemical structure of food. Disadvantages of a raw food diet It's restrictive and can make eating out difficult.As the variety of foods eaten is limited, it can lack nutrients and energy. It is particularly difficult to get enough protein, vitamin B12 and iron on a strict raw food diet.It can be hard to know how to get the best from your ingredients. Some raw foods provide enough nutrients when eaten whole, while chopping and puréeing others mean they can release more nutrients.Maximum nutrition doesn’t always correlate with optimum flavour.Some foods are more nutritious when eaten cooked. It's restrictive and can make eating out difficult. As the variety of foods eaten is limited, it can lack nutrients and energy. It is particularly difficult to get enough protein, vitamin B12 and iron on a strict raw food diet. It can be hard to know how to get the best from your ingredients. Some raw foods provide enough nutrients when eaten whole, while chopping and puréeing others mean they can release more nutrients. Maximum nutrition doesn’t always correlate with optimum flavour. Some foods are more nutritious when eaten cooked. Advantages of a raw food diet It’s beneficial to eat some raw foods, such as fresh fruit and salads, because they contain higher levels of some vitamins.Raw food can be quick and simple to prepare. It’s beneficial to eat some raw foods, such as fresh fruit and salads, because they contain higher levels of some vitamins. Raw food can be quick and simple to prepare. Originally published August 2019" }, "content_info": { "domain": "Food & Cooking", "subdomain": "Recipes" } }
{ "$oid": "68bace81eb3bdbfd0cc0024c" }	8c9f80d05e78d61470ca3597a3df496d67096000e2678b46c6102716443a0db6	Are we getting breakfast all wrong? It might be the most important meal of the day in some eyes, but breakfast is frequently skipped or eaten on the go in the form of a convenient breakfast bar or smoothie. How much does it matter what we eat in the morning and when we eat it? https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0994qrn.jpg Breakfast has become “very, very limited” in the UK, says Tim Spector, Professor of Genetic Epidemiology at King’s College London and author of Spoon-Fed: Why Almost Everything We’ve Been Told About Food is Wrong. In some cultures, breakfast is often “leftovers or similar to foods you would have for lunch and dinner”, says medical doctor Rupy Aujla. For instance, on the Pakistani breakfast menu you may find “semolina halva, chickpea curry, spiced potatoes, paratha, puri and a lamb stew”, according to cook Sumayya Usmani. Eggs feature too, with “spiced scrambled eggs called khageena and desi omelette”. In some Mediterranean countries, including Turkey, breakfast can be a feast including cheeses, eggs, meats, yoghurt, breads, honey and preserves, according to Anissa Helou, a London-based chef of Syrian and Lebanese heritage. Eating a healthy breakfast isn’t just about picking one dish that’s packed with plant foods and healthy fats, says Spector. It’s important to vary what you eat over a week, as the more variety there is in your diet the better it is for your gut bacteria, he explains. The British Dietetic Association (BDA) recommends eating foods high in fibre (such as wholegrain bread, oats or select cereals) and protein (such as yoghurt, beans and eggs), and including fruit and veg. What time should you eat breakfast? https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0994r1h.jpg Does the time you eat breakfast affect your health? “Some people are programmed to prefer eating earlier in the day and others later, which might suit our unique personal metabolism”, says Professor Spector. “We need to move away from this one-size-fits-all advice”, he continues. Breakfast helps some get going, but others have no interest in eating until noon, and both of these are normal, he explains. But Spector advises leaving 12-14 hours between your last meal of the day and your first meal the following day, to benefit your gut bacteria. This might mean an early dinner with a morning breakfast, or an evening dinner with breakfast pushed back or skipped. “Our thinking is that it allows a whole repair team to come out that don’t eat your food but eat your gut lining and clean up the debris from the night before. The more they do this, the stronger your gut wall is, and [this] appears to help your immune defences.” Dr Aujla recommends “If you’re stressed or rushed in the mornings… fasting until noon, where you have a nice left-over meal or high-fibre item, might be better than rushing”. Although leading a healthy lifestyle and eating plenty of fruits and vegetables throughout the day are important, he stresses. Dr Rupy's breakfast recipes Healthy granolaApple, pear and berry bircherTofu scrambleHealthy banana berry smoothie Healthy granola Apple, pear and berry bircher Tofu scramble Healthy banana berry smoothie But are there health implication to skipping breakfast? Intermittent fasting or skipping meals doesn’t suit everyone, with reported side effects such as feeling “dizzy, irritable… headaches, and [difficulty] concentrating”, according to the BDA. An observational study suggests people who eat breakfast are likely to be healthier than those who don’t. But they are also found to be likely to smoke more, drink more alcohol and exercise less, so it is difficult to identify cause and effect. Skipping breakfast may affect your short-term memory, too. A Public Health England review concluded there is “convincing evidence that consuming breakfast, compared to skipping breakfast, has positive impacts on short-term cognition and memory”. What’s the verdict on our favourite breakfasts? https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0994r4f.jpg Almost a third of us choose cereal for breakfast, according to a new survey. “Cereal can form part of a healthy, balanced diet”, report to the NHS, but they advise you check nutrition labels for levels of sugar, fat or salt. Choose a cereal with plenty of fibre – an important nutrient 90 percent of us don’t get enough of. Compare nutrition based on 100g of cereal rather than the recommended portion size, as this varies and surveys show we eat 63 percent more cereal than the recommendation. Cereal can be a good source of calcium when eaten with milk, no-added sugar yoghurt, or fortified soya or oat drinks. Adding fruit increases sweetness, contributes to your five-a-day and boosts the fibre content. Try porridge and homemade granola. But beware of cereal bars, which can be high in sugar and fat – find out how to make your own healthier cereal bars here. Our most popular breakfast recipes PancakesPoached eggsAvocado toastThe perfect omelette Pancakes Poached eggs Avocado toast The perfect omelette Toast is the second most popular breakfast. Use wholemeal, multigrain or seeded bread, which often contains “dietary fibre, calcium, iron, folate and B vitamins”, says dietitian Catherine Rabess. Thanks to that fibre, it keeps you fuller for longer too. Check the label for salt and sugar content. Healthy toppings include nut and seed butters, cheese, eggs, avocado, mushrooms, yeast extract and fresh fruit, says Rabess. Find recipes for good things on toast on BBC Food. What about fry-ups, ranked by over a quarter of Brits as their all-time favourite breakfast? “Cooked breakfasts can be balanced and healthy”, says Rabess. A breakfast of tomatoes, mushrooms, baked beans and a glass of juice can give you four of your five-a-day, if you have a portion of each. Eggs are also nutritious. The NHS recommends choosing meats lower in saturated fat, such as chicken. What about a glass of juice? The NHS says a 150ml glass of unsweetened fruit juice or smoothie “counts as a maximum of one portion of your recommended five daily portions of fruit and vegetables”. No matter how much you drink it will still only count as one portion, because it’s not recommended you have more than this. Dr Aujla doesn’t advise we drink it at all, though. “Fruit juice is basically as sugary as a typical candy bar”, he said, as “you take out all the fibre and leave all the natural sugars, which go straight to your liver”. He is on the fence as to whether vegetable juice is beneficial, but would “much rather people have the fibre and the whole food”. If you do drink smoothies and juice, dental hygienist Anna Middleton recommends using an (environmentally friendly) straw to bypass your teeth, as the drinks contain sugars and acids, which contribute to irreversible enamel erosion and potentially tooth decay. “It is not the amount of sugar or acid you have”, she says, “but the frequency with which you have it that causes dental problems”. She also recommends washing your mouth out with water after drinking a juice or smoothie, but says you should not brush your teeth after eating or drinking anything acidic such as fruit. “Water is a healthy and cheap choice for quenching your thirst at any time. It has no calories and contains no sugars that can damage teeth”, recommends the NHS.	{ "data_info": { "lang": "en-GB", "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/healthy_breakfast", "type": "HowTo", "processing_date": "2025-09-05T00:00:00", "delivery_version": "v1.0", "title": "Are we getting breakfast all wrong?", "content": "It might be the most important meal of the day in some eyes, but breakfast is frequently skipped or eaten on the go in the form of a convenient breakfast bar or smoothie. How much does it matter what we eat in the morning and when we eat it? https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0994qrn.jpg Breakfast has become “very, very limited” in the UK, says Tim Spector, Professor of Genetic Epidemiology at King’s College London and author of Spoon-Fed: Why Almost Everything We’ve Been Told About Food is Wrong. In some cultures, breakfast is often “leftovers or similar to foods you would have for lunch and dinner”, says medical doctor Rupy Aujla. For instance, on the Pakistani breakfast menu you may find “semolina halva, chickpea curry, spiced potatoes, paratha, puri and a lamb stew”, according to cook Sumayya Usmani. Eggs feature too, with “spiced scrambled eggs called khageena and desi omelette”. In some Mediterranean countries, including Turkey, breakfast can be a feast including cheeses, eggs, meats, yoghurt, breads, honey and preserves, according to Anissa Helou, a London-based chef of Syrian and Lebanese heritage. Eating a healthy breakfast isn’t just about picking one dish that’s packed with plant foods and healthy fats, says Spector. It’s important to vary what you eat over a week, as the more variety there is in your diet the better it is for your gut bacteria, he explains. The British Dietetic Association (BDA) recommends eating foods high in fibre (such as wholegrain bread, oats or select cereals) and protein (such as yoghurt, beans and eggs), and including fruit and veg. What time should you eat breakfast? https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0994r1h.jpg Does the time you eat breakfast affect your health? “Some people are programmed to prefer eating earlier in the day and others later, which might suit our unique personal metabolism”, says Professor Spector. “We need to move away from this one-size-fits-all advice”, he continues. Breakfast helps some get going, but others have no interest in eating until noon, and both of these are normal, he explains. But Spector advises leaving 12-14 hours between your last meal of the day and your first meal the following day, to benefit your gut bacteria. This might mean an early dinner with a morning breakfast, or an evening dinner with breakfast pushed back or skipped. “Our thinking is that it allows a whole repair team to come out that don’t eat your food but eat your gut lining and clean up the debris from the night before. The more they do this, the stronger your gut wall is, and [this] appears to help your immune defences.” Dr Aujla recommends “If you’re stressed or rushed in the mornings… fasting until noon, where you have a nice left-over meal or high-fibre item, might be better than rushing”. Although leading a healthy lifestyle and eating plenty of fruits and vegetables throughout the day are important, he stresses. Dr Rupy's breakfast recipes Healthy granolaApple, pear and berry bircherTofu scrambleHealthy banana berry smoothie Healthy granola Apple, pear and berry bircher Tofu scramble Healthy banana berry smoothie But are there health implication to skipping breakfast? Intermittent fasting or skipping meals doesn’t suit everyone, with reported side effects such as feeling “dizzy, irritable… headaches, and [difficulty] concentrating”, according to the BDA. An observational study suggests people who eat breakfast are likely to be healthier than those who don’t. But they are also found to be likely to smoke more, drink more alcohol and exercise less, so it is difficult to identify cause and effect. Skipping breakfast may affect your short-term memory, too. A Public Health England review concluded there is “convincing evidence that consuming breakfast, compared to skipping breakfast, has positive impacts on short-term cognition and memory”. What’s the verdict on our favourite breakfasts? https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0994r4f.jpg Almost a third of us choose cereal for breakfast, according to a new survey. “Cereal can form part of a healthy, balanced diet”, report to the NHS, but they advise you check nutrition labels for levels of sugar, fat or salt. Choose a cereal with plenty of fibre – an important nutrient 90 percent of us don’t get enough of. Compare nutrition based on 100g of cereal rather than the recommended portion size, as this varies and surveys show we eat 63 percent more cereal than the recommendation. Cereal can be a good source of calcium when eaten with milk, no-added sugar yoghurt, or fortified soya or oat drinks. Adding fruit increases sweetness, contributes to your five-a-day and boosts the fibre content. Try porridge and homemade granola. But beware of cereal bars, which can be high in sugar and fat – find out how to make your own healthier cereal bars here. Our most popular breakfast recipes PancakesPoached eggsAvocado toastThe perfect omelette Pancakes Poached eggs Avocado toast The perfect omelette Toast is the second most popular breakfast. Use wholemeal, multigrain or seeded bread, which often contains “dietary fibre, calcium, iron, folate and B vitamins”, says dietitian Catherine Rabess. Thanks to that fibre, it keeps you fuller for longer too. Check the label for salt and sugar content. Healthy toppings include nut and seed butters, cheese, eggs, avocado, mushrooms, yeast extract and fresh fruit, says Rabess. Find recipes for good things on toast on BBC Food. What about fry-ups, ranked by over a quarter of Brits as their all-time favourite breakfast? “Cooked breakfasts can be balanced and healthy”, says Rabess. A breakfast of tomatoes, mushrooms, baked beans and a glass of juice can give you four of your five-a-day, if you have a portion of each. Eggs are also nutritious. The NHS recommends choosing meats lower in saturated fat, such as chicken. What about a glass of juice? The NHS says a 150ml glass of unsweetened fruit juice or smoothie “counts as a maximum of one portion of your recommended five daily portions of fruit and vegetables”. No matter how much you drink it will still only count as one portion, because it’s not recommended you have more than this. Dr Aujla doesn’t advise we drink it at all, though. “Fruit juice is basically as sugary as a typical candy bar”, he said, as “you take out all the fibre and leave all the natural sugars, which go straight to your liver”. He is on the fence as to whether vegetable juice is beneficial, but would “much rather people have the fibre and the whole food”. If you do drink smoothies and juice, dental hygienist Anna Middleton recommends using an (environmentally friendly) straw to bypass your teeth, as the drinks contain sugars and acids, which contribute to irreversible enamel erosion and potentially tooth decay. “It is not the amount of sugar or acid you have”, she says, “but the frequency with which you have it that causes dental problems”. She also recommends washing your mouth out with water after drinking a juice or smoothie, but says you should not brush your teeth after eating or drinking anything acidic such as fruit. “Water is a healthy and cheap choice for quenching your thirst at any time. It has no calories and contains no sugars that can damage teeth”, recommends the NHS." }, "content_info": { "domain": "Food & Cooking", "subdomain": "Recipes" } }
{ "$oid": "68bace81eb3bdbfd0cc0024d" }	9bdd5ed14b736cd315dde48f6ca3f6b6def98d9e1fd5c426338de8992cee31e6	Is eating quickly bad for your health? Do you find yourself wolfing down your meals in a hurry? You might want to slow down. Here’s why… https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0k071hq.jpg When we’re in a rush, distracted by the TV or are thinking about our long to-do lists, most of us will, from time-to-time eat our meals faster than we’d like to. But could eating more quickly be bad for your health? Here’s what the experts say… How do you know if you’re a fast eater? Dr. Sai Krishna Gudi, from the University of Manitoba, Canada has carried out research into the health impacts of fast eating and explains “there’s an apparent lack of evidence suggesting the ideal or optimum amount of time to spend eating, mainly it depends on the type of meal. “However, somewhere between 10 and 20 minutes is usually considered the ideal time to be spent while eating. Generally, less than or equal to 10 minutes is considered fast eating and more than or equal to 20 minutes is considered slow eating.” Even if you’re not timing your meals, it’s likely you’ll know if you’re a fast eater, says dietitian Reema Pillai. “Ask yourself if you recognise any of these signs: Finishing your meals quicker than others eating with you, bloating after eating, feeling overly full after finishing, feeling like you want to snack more,” these could all be signs that you’re a fast eater. What are the possible health impacts? Indigestion This is the one we hear about the most, but it’s hotly debated. One study found that the eating speed didn’t impact symptoms in people with GERD (long-term acid reflux). However, eating too fast is reported to be a cause for bloating and trapped wind. Pillai explains we’re more likely to swallow air when eating fast and “this can lead to symptoms of indigestion… Although eating fast is a contributor to indigestion, other factors such as stress and food choices, as well as existing digestive issues have a role.” Type-2 diabetes This is something Gudi, carried out research on. He examined real-world data from around the world (up until 2020) only focussing on “high-quality studies” and the result, “A possible relationship between eating fast and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes was noted.” So why could eating fast regularly put you more at risk? Gudi found several reasons. Firstly, if you eat fast, you’re more likely to overeat, that’s because it takes around 20 minutes for our brains to receive a signal telling us we’re full, so if you eat quickly you could end up eating more before you know you’re full. This overeating could then increase your glucose levels. Gudi also pointed to research that shows that if you eat fast, you’re more likely to ‘trigger specific cytokines… which eventually increases insulin resistance.’ However, says Gudi, there’s still lots learn on the subject – especially when you consider that many of the studies that have examined this so far have relied on self-reported responses from study participants. “Research should focus on developing a standard speed measurement scale or a smartphone application, which could further address this issue. “Randomised controlled trials and long-term interventional studies are needed to evaluate the causal relationship and whether eating slowly could actually prevent type 2 diabetes,” he adds. Weight gain This is something Dr Toshiaki Ohkuma, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan, has investigated. “Our systematic review and meta-analysis, which included data from 23 studies, found a clear association between eating quickly and increased body weight, including obesity. “People who ate quickly had a higher body mass index (BMI) by an average of 1.78 kg/m² compared to those who ate slowly. Additionally, fast eaters were more than twice as likely to be obese, with an odds ratio of 2.15. “This relationship remained unchanged after adjustment for total energy intake. This highlights the importance of not just what and how much we eat, but also how quickly we eat. “Encouraging slower eating habits could be a practical strategy for preventing obesity,” explains Ohkuma. The reasons behind the increase in weight gain are similar to the potential increase in type-2 diabetes.“When eating quickly, individuals consume more calories before the brain receives signals of fullness, which are triggered by nutrient intake, stomach distension and the release of gut hormones. This delay in recognizing fullness leads to overeating, resulting in excessive calorie intake and weight gain. “Additionally, fast eaters may chew less, reducing the activation of satiety-related pathways, further contributing to obesity.” Ohkuma warns: “Eating fast can lead to other negative health outcomes besides obesity, as obesity is a major risk factor for various chronic conditions, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases.” How to slow your eating down A technique that can help people is mindful eating. “This is about truly experiencing your food, tuning into the taste, texture, smell and every sensation that comes with eating,” explains Dr. Michael Mantzios, professor of applied and experimental psychology at Birmingham City University, who has conducted research into mindful eating. “Picture this. You're enjoying a meal, paying attention to taste, texture and/or smell and suddenly your mind wanders off to a to-do list, a work problem, or a recent conversation. Mindful eating is the practice of noticing when your mind drifts and gently bringing your focus back to the food in front of you. It's a cycle—attention, distraction and then a return to the moment. “Whether it's a sound that pulls you away or a thought that takes you elsewhere, mindful eating is about constantly bringing yourself back to the here and now, savouring each bite as it happens.” While the primary focus of mindful eating isn’t to slowdown when you’re eating, it’s a consequence. “Mindful eating often leads to eating more slowly… you naturally slow down, you pause to appreciate what you're eating and as a result, you take your time. So, while slower eating happens with mindfulness and mindful eating, it's not something you have to force; it just comes naturally as you focus more on the sensory experience.” So how do you do it? “Try simple reflective practices—keep a piece of paper next to your plate and write down a reminder of what you need to notice: the taste, smell, or texture of your food. It can be as simple as: What is the taste? What is the smell? What is the texture? “You don’t need to write anything while you are eating, simply have it there as a reminder of what you are focusing on during the meal. “If your mind wanders, that’s okay—just remind yourself to refocus on the sensory experience and regardless of how many times it happens, repeating this cycle will make you a more mindful eater.” Originally published October 2024 Disclaimer: Please note, this article is focused on people who may eat faster than they wish due to distractions at mealtimes. Likewise, advice on how to slow down your eating speed is for people who are experiencing this problem. If you are concerned that your eating speed (or that of a loved one) is related to disordered eating, help and advice is available. Beat's Head of Safeguarding, Kerri Fleming explains: “Whilst eating at a particular speed isn't a reliable way to tell if you have an eating disorder, it can sometimes be a warning sign in conjunction with other symptoms. People with binge eating disorder may eat large quantities of food, often quickly, whilst feeling out of control of their actions. Conversely, people with restrictive eating disorders such as anorexia may eat very slowly. “We would urge anyone concerned about their health to visit their GP at the very earliest opportunity.”	{ "data_info": { "lang": "en-GB", "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/eating_fast_bad_for_health", "type": "HowTo", "processing_date": "2025-09-05T00:00:00", "delivery_version": "v1.0", "title": "Is eating quickly bad for your health?", "content": "Do you find yourself wolfing down your meals in a hurry? You might want to slow down. Here’s why… https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0k071hq.jpg When we’re in a rush, distracted by the TV or are thinking about our long to-do lists, most of us will, from time-to-time eat our meals faster than we’d like to. But could eating more quickly be bad for your health? Here’s what the experts say… How do you know if you’re a fast eater? Dr. Sai Krishna Gudi, from the University of Manitoba, Canada has carried out research into the health impacts of fast eating and explains “there’s an apparent lack of evidence suggesting the ideal or optimum amount of time to spend eating, mainly it depends on the type of meal. “However, somewhere between 10 and 20 minutes is usually considered the ideal time to be spent while eating. Generally, less than or equal to 10 minutes is considered fast eating and more than or equal to 20 minutes is considered slow eating.” Even if you’re not timing your meals, it’s likely you’ll know if you’re a fast eater, says dietitian Reema Pillai. “Ask yourself if you recognise any of these signs: Finishing your meals quicker than others eating with you, bloating after eating, feeling overly full after finishing, feeling like you want to snack more,” these could all be signs that you’re a fast eater. What are the possible health impacts? Indigestion This is the one we hear about the most, but it’s hotly debated. One study found that the eating speed didn’t impact symptoms in people with GERD (long-term acid reflux). However, eating too fast is reported to be a cause for bloating and trapped wind. Pillai explains we’re more likely to swallow air when eating fast and “this can lead to symptoms of indigestion… Although eating fast is a contributor to indigestion, other factors such as stress and food choices, as well as existing digestive issues have a role.” Type-2 diabetes This is something Gudi, carried out research on. He examined real-world data from around the world (up until 2020) only focussing on “high-quality studies” and the result, “A possible relationship between eating fast and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes was noted.” So why could eating fast regularly put you more at risk? Gudi found several reasons. Firstly, if you eat fast, you’re more likely to overeat, that’s because it takes around 20 minutes for our brains to receive a signal telling us we’re full, so if you eat quickly you could end up eating more before you know you’re full. This overeating could then increase your glucose levels. Gudi also pointed to research that shows that if you eat fast, you’re more likely to ‘trigger specific cytokines… which eventually increases insulin resistance.’ However, says Gudi, there’s still lots learn on the subject – especially when you consider that many of the studies that have examined this so far have relied on self-reported responses from study participants. “Research should focus on developing a standard speed measurement scale or a smartphone application, which could further address this issue. “Randomised controlled trials and long-term interventional studies are needed to evaluate the causal relationship and whether eating slowly could actually prevent type 2 diabetes,” he adds. Weight gain This is something Dr Toshiaki Ohkuma, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan, has investigated. “Our systematic review and meta-analysis, which included data from 23 studies, found a clear association between eating quickly and increased body weight, including obesity. “People who ate quickly had a higher body mass index (BMI) by an average of 1.78 kg/m² compared to those who ate slowly. Additionally, fast eaters were more than twice as likely to be obese, with an odds ratio of 2.15. “This relationship remained unchanged after adjustment for total energy intake. This highlights the importance of not just what and how much we eat, but also how quickly we eat. “Encouraging slower eating habits could be a practical strategy for preventing obesity,” explains Ohkuma. The reasons behind the increase in weight gain are similar to the potential increase in type-2 diabetes.“When eating quickly, individuals consume more calories before the brain receives signals of fullness, which are triggered by nutrient intake, stomach distension and the release of gut hormones. This delay in recognizing fullness leads to overeating, resulting in excessive calorie intake and weight gain. “Additionally, fast eaters may chew less, reducing the activation of satiety-related pathways, further contributing to obesity.” Ohkuma warns: “Eating fast can lead to other negative health outcomes besides obesity, as obesity is a major risk factor for various chronic conditions, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases.” How to slow your eating down A technique that can help people is mindful eating. “This is about truly experiencing your food, tuning into the taste, texture, smell and every sensation that comes with eating,” explains Dr. Michael Mantzios, professor of applied and experimental psychology at Birmingham City University, who has conducted research into mindful eating. “Picture this. You're enjoying a meal, paying attention to taste, texture and/or smell and suddenly your mind wanders off to a to-do list, a work problem, or a recent conversation. Mindful eating is the practice of noticing when your mind drifts and gently bringing your focus back to the food in front of you. It's a cycle—attention, distraction and then a return to the moment. “Whether it's a sound that pulls you away or a thought that takes you elsewhere, mindful eating is about constantly bringing yourself back to the here and now, savouring each bite as it happens.” While the primary focus of mindful eating isn’t to slowdown when you’re eating, it’s a consequence. “Mindful eating often leads to eating more slowly… you naturally slow down, you pause to appreciate what you're eating and as a result, you take your time. So, while slower eating happens with mindfulness and mindful eating, it's not something you have to force; it just comes naturally as you focus more on the sensory experience.” So how do you do it? “Try simple reflective practices—keep a piece of paper next to your plate and write down a reminder of what you need to notice: the taste, smell, or texture of your food. It can be as simple as: What is the taste? What is the smell? What is the texture? “You don’t need to write anything while you are eating, simply have it there as a reminder of what you are focusing on during the meal. “If your mind wanders, that’s okay—just remind yourself to refocus on the sensory experience and regardless of how many times it happens, repeating this cycle will make you a more mindful eater.” Originally published October 2024 Disclaimer: Please note, this article is focused on people who may eat faster than they wish due to distractions at mealtimes. Likewise, advice on how to slow down your eating speed is for people who are experiencing this problem. If you are concerned that your eating speed (or that of a loved one) is related to disordered eating, help and advice is available. Beat's Head of Safeguarding, Kerri Fleming explains: “Whilst eating at a particular speed isn't a reliable way to tell if you have an eating disorder, it can sometimes be a warning sign in conjunction with other symptoms. People with binge eating disorder may eat large quantities of food, often quickly, whilst feeling out of control of their actions. Conversely, people with restrictive eating disorders such as anorexia may eat very slowly. “We would urge anyone concerned about their health to visit their GP at the very earliest opportunity.”" }, "content_info": { "domain": "Food & Cooking", "subdomain": "Recipes" } }
{ "$oid": "68bace81eb3bdbfd0cc0024e" }	fe47157c9bf1079ab1e7efcd3110857d10170eebc90ad9d94f18bc6653966336	The genius cooking hack that turns one dinner into three If you’re too busy to cook, you’re not alone. In 2017, a survey reported that one in eight Brits say they 'never' or 'hardly ever' cook a meal from raw ingredients, often because they don’t have time. Dietitian Priya Tew has a simple way to save time (and money), by turning one quick and easy family meal of roast veggies into three delicious dinners. Watch Eat Well For Less’ Priya Tew turn a tray of roast veg into three easy dinners in our quick video. Tasty ideas for batch cooking Batch cooking doesn’t have to mean beef mince (bolognese, lasagne, chilli, we’re looking at you). Plenty of recipes can be made ahead of time, then either frozen and defrosted or kept in the fridge until you need them. You don’t even have to make complete recipes – simply cook some grains, such as quinoa, or pulses, and keep them in the fridge to turn into salads or frittatas. Other meals that can be batch cooked include: Dal – the possibilities are endless. Make a big batch, freeze, then reheat and top with onions and coriander for a quick, easy, nutritious meal. Try our top 12 dal recipes.Pies – fish pie freezes and reheats really well as long as there’s no boiled egg in it. Meat pies topped with mash or pastry also freeze well. Make a double batch and keep one in the freezer, your future self you will thank you.Curries and stews – meat or vegetable curries and stews freeze well. Just double up the ingredients (you may need to extend the cooking time too), then allow to cool and freeze.Pancakes – make extra pancakes at the weekend and freeze. They defrost in no time and make midweek breakfasts a joy!Meatballs – make a big batch, lay them on a baking tray and freeze, then transfer to freezer bags or pots in portions.Sauces – our favourite sauces to batch cook and freeze include tomato and béchamel.Soups – freeze in individual portions and take to work frozen; they should be defrosted just in time for lunch! Dal – the possibilities are endless. Make a big batch, freeze, then reheat and top with onions and coriander for a quick, easy, nutritious meal. Try our top 12 dal recipes. Pies – fish pie freezes and reheats really well as long as there’s no boiled egg in it. Meat pies topped with mash or pastry also freeze well. Make a double batch and keep one in the freezer, your future self you will thank you. Curries and stews – meat or vegetable curries and stews freeze well. Just double up the ingredients (you may need to extend the cooking time too), then allow to cool and freeze. Pancakes – make extra pancakes at the weekend and freeze. They defrost in no time and make midweek breakfasts a joy! Meatballs – make a big batch, lay them on a baking tray and freeze, then transfer to freezer bags or pots in portions. Sauces – our favourite sauces to batch cook and freeze include tomato and béchamel. Soups – freeze in individual portions and take to work frozen; they should be defrosted just in time for lunch! Originally published October 2019	{ "data_info": { "lang": "en-GB", "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/batch_cooking", "type": "HowTo", "processing_date": "2025-09-05T00:00:00", "delivery_version": "v1.0", "title": "The genius cooking hack that turns one dinner into three", "content": "If you’re too busy to cook, you’re not alone. In 2017, a survey reported that one in eight Brits say they 'never' or 'hardly ever' cook a meal from raw ingredients, often because they don’t have time. Dietitian Priya Tew has a simple way to save time (and money), by turning one quick and easy family meal of roast veggies into three delicious dinners. Watch Eat Well For Less’ Priya Tew turn a tray of roast veg into three easy dinners in our quick video. Tasty ideas for batch cooking Batch cooking doesn’t have to mean beef mince (bolognese, lasagne, chilli, we’re looking at you). Plenty of recipes can be made ahead of time, then either frozen and defrosted or kept in the fridge until you need them. You don’t even have to make complete recipes – simply cook some grains, such as quinoa, or pulses, and keep them in the fridge to turn into salads or frittatas. Other meals that can be batch cooked include: Dal – the possibilities are endless. Make a big batch, freeze, then reheat and top with onions and coriander for a quick, easy, nutritious meal. Try our top 12 dal recipes.Pies – fish pie freezes and reheats really well as long as there’s no boiled egg in it. Meat pies topped with mash or pastry also freeze well. Make a double batch and keep one in the freezer, your future self you will thank you.Curries and stews – meat or vegetable curries and stews freeze well. Just double up the ingredients (you may need to extend the cooking time too), then allow to cool and freeze.Pancakes – make extra pancakes at the weekend and freeze. They defrost in no time and make midweek breakfasts a joy!Meatballs – make a big batch, lay them on a baking tray and freeze, then transfer to freezer bags or pots in portions.Sauces – our favourite sauces to batch cook and freeze include tomato and béchamel.Soups – freeze in individual portions and take to work frozen; they should be defrosted just in time for lunch! Dal – the possibilities are endless. Make a big batch, freeze, then reheat and top with onions and coriander for a quick, easy, nutritious meal. Try our top 12 dal recipes. Pies – fish pie freezes and reheats really well as long as there’s no boiled egg in it. Meat pies topped with mash or pastry also freeze well. Make a double batch and keep one in the freezer, your future self you will thank you. Curries and stews – meat or vegetable curries and stews freeze well. Just double up the ingredients (you may need to extend the cooking time too), then allow to cool and freeze. Pancakes – make extra pancakes at the weekend and freeze. They defrost in no time and make midweek breakfasts a joy! Meatballs – make a big batch, lay them on a baking tray and freeze, then transfer to freezer bags or pots in portions. Sauces – our favourite sauces to batch cook and freeze include tomato and béchamel. Soups – freeze in individual portions and take to work frozen; they should be defrosted just in time for lunch! Originally published October 2019" }, "content_info": { "domain": "Food & Cooking", "subdomain": "Recipes" } }
{ "$oid": "68bace82eb3bdbfd0cc0024f" }	595f0a2228775dceabb5bfb8ab63e0d858e39ba74d82fc5d775cfde3d99d293c	'I use these recipes at least three times a week' Romy Gill shares her tips and well-tested recipes for pastes and sauces she swears by to make the most delicious curries and more By Romy Gill https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0k06m0x.jpg The base of Indian curries varies significantly across the different states of India, all reflecting the rich diversity of regional cuisines. Growing up in West Bengal, I was eating dishes influenced by states all over India. My father worked at the Burnpur steel plant, and as people moved to the region for work, the area quickly became a melting pot of different cultures and cuisines. As people arrived, they’d bring new spices and flavours with them, just as my parents had. Friendships and communities were formed and different cooking styles were shared and eventually blended together. Every celebration, from births to religious festivals would involve food. I feel incredibly fortunate to have grown up in such a multicultural community. When I moved to the UK in 1993, food once again became something over which friendships were formed. I initially moved to a tiny village on the west coast of Scotland, where I shared my love of Indian food with my new friends Helen and Angus. They in turn quickly taught me lots about British dishes, from bubble and squeak to the difference between shepherd’s pie and cottage pie. I continued to blend cooking styles and ingredients and still do to this day. I’m always learning. And that’s how these curry bases have come about and become so significant in my life. Over the years I’ve found ingredients that are easy-to-source and that taste wonderful together. What’s more they’re really versatile – yes you can use them to create a delicious curry, but you could also include them in an omelette or scrambled eggs! I use these bases at least three times a week and when friends and neighbours come over for food, they’re always requested. I’d suggest you make them in large batches, freeze them, and then use them whenever you want to bring the flavours of India to your kitchen. Punjabi curry sauce base This tomato-based sauce is something my parents introduced to me; they’d make it together. Sadly, my mum is no longer with us, but my dad still makes it. First you add garlic to the pan then comes the ginger, red onions, bird’s eye chillies and tomatoes. You cook them on a high heat, so the oil expands rather than becoming absorbed into the onions. Herbs and spices including fenugreek and coriander are added and you cover but stir occasionally. Once cooked you blend it into a fine paste before freezing or using. What to add: This is perfect for any meat – especially chicken, lamb or fish. And you can add cream, yoghurt, or coconut milk depending on yout taste. Add a little water and simmer until the sauce is how you like it. Alternatively, if you’re after a vegetarian dish, it goes well with chickpeas or kidney beans – in fact, any type of beans! Another option is to add potatoes (either white or sweet) to the sauce, that’s my daughters’ favourite. See the recipe for more details on how to turn this paste into a curry. Keralan curry paste This played a significant role in my childhood as my friend Simi's mum Amma would make it for me whenever I visited their house. She would also send me back home with some so my parents could use it in their dishes too. Coconut is the star of the show in this paste and while back in India, coconut flesh would be grated down and then put through a muslin cloth to remove extra moisture (the milk would be used for another dish), you can really simplify the process by simply soaking desiccated coconut in hot water for a short while. This recipe uses no onions (so no time spent softening them). You simply blend the ingredients into a fine paste and add a couple of drops of water if it’s too thick. It’s quick to make and, if you prefer milder Indian food, this is a great paste to use because you don’t need to include chillies. When using the paste with meat, Amma would also add her own blend of garam masala to the mix and I’ve included the recipe for this too. It uses ingredients including cardamom, star anise and cloves (for the full recipe click on the image below), so it has a real warmth to it. But if you’re serving it as part of a vegetarian dish you could simply add ground coriander to the paste instead. What to add: Coconut is a very mild flavour and really suits all types of ingredients, however you could treat it like a korma and add cashews to it before adding the meat of your choice. See the Recipe Tips for details on quantities. Whatever you make with it, if you want more tang, you could grate a shallot, onion or garlic into the paste. And when heating it up, you could add green chillies too. Tarka base Tarka is also known as ‘tempering’ and a method of heating the spices and other ingredients in hot oil and ghee. This helps to release their flavours and it forms the foundation of many Indian dishes. This is a Punjabi-style of cooking, in that you cook the dal separately – with lentils, salt, turmeric and water in one pan and the tarka in another. Only once the dal is cooked and softened do you add the paste to it and then you cook it together for a few more minutes. What to add: Lentils are an obvious and comforting choice to mix with the tarka, but the paste also goes really well with eggs – you could make a spicy omelette – whisking a few spoonfuls of the tarka into your egg mix prior to frying. Likewise, you could do the same with scrambled eggs. Another option is paneer, which you could grate into the tarka before heating. Alternatively use it like a marinade, to coat meat before cooking. The key with all three curry bases is to not be put off experimenting with them. Add ingredients or spices that you love into them and try serving them alongside different ingredients and dishes. The joy of these bases – and cooking – is that you often find your new favourite meal by taking a few risks and being adventurous along the way. Originally published October 2024	{ "data_info": { "lang": "en-GB", "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/romy_gill_three_base_pastes", "type": "HowTo", "processing_date": "2025-09-05T00:00:00", "delivery_version": "v1.0", "title": "'I use these recipes at least three times a week'", "content": "Romy Gill shares her tips and well-tested recipes for pastes and sauces she swears by to make the most delicious curries and more By Romy Gill https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0k06m0x.jpg The base of Indian curries varies significantly across the different states of India, all reflecting the rich diversity of regional cuisines. Growing up in West Bengal, I was eating dishes influenced by states all over India. My father worked at the Burnpur steel plant, and as people moved to the region for work, the area quickly became a melting pot of different cultures and cuisines. As people arrived, they’d bring new spices and flavours with them, just as my parents had. Friendships and communities were formed and different cooking styles were shared and eventually blended together. Every celebration, from births to religious festivals would involve food. I feel incredibly fortunate to have grown up in such a multicultural community. When I moved to the UK in 1993, food once again became something over which friendships were formed. I initially moved to a tiny village on the west coast of Scotland, where I shared my love of Indian food with my new friends Helen and Angus. They in turn quickly taught me lots about British dishes, from bubble and squeak to the difference between shepherd’s pie and cottage pie. I continued to blend cooking styles and ingredients and still do to this day. I’m always learning. And that’s how these curry bases have come about and become so significant in my life. Over the years I’ve found ingredients that are easy-to-source and that taste wonderful together. What’s more they’re really versatile – yes you can use them to create a delicious curry, but you could also include them in an omelette or scrambled eggs! I use these bases at least three times a week and when friends and neighbours come over for food, they’re always requested. I’d suggest you make them in large batches, freeze them, and then use them whenever you want to bring the flavours of India to your kitchen. Punjabi curry sauce base This tomato-based sauce is something my parents introduced to me; they’d make it together. Sadly, my mum is no longer with us, but my dad still makes it. First you add garlic to the pan then comes the ginger, red onions, bird’s eye chillies and tomatoes. You cook them on a high heat, so the oil expands rather than becoming absorbed into the onions. Herbs and spices including fenugreek and coriander are added and you cover but stir occasionally. Once cooked you blend it into a fine paste before freezing or using. What to add: This is perfect for any meat – especially chicken, lamb or fish. And you can add cream, yoghurt, or coconut milk depending on yout taste. Add a little water and simmer until the sauce is how you like it. Alternatively, if you’re after a vegetarian dish, it goes well with chickpeas or kidney beans – in fact, any type of beans! Another option is to add potatoes (either white or sweet) to the sauce, that’s my daughters’ favourite. See the recipe for more details on how to turn this paste into a curry. Keralan curry paste This played a significant role in my childhood as my friend Simi's mum Amma would make it for me whenever I visited their house. She would also send me back home with some so my parents could use it in their dishes too. Coconut is the star of the show in this paste and while back in India, coconut flesh would be grated down and then put through a muslin cloth to remove extra moisture (the milk would be used for another dish), you can really simplify the process by simply soaking desiccated coconut in hot water for a short while. This recipe uses no onions (so no time spent softening them). You simply blend the ingredients into a fine paste and add a couple of drops of water if it’s too thick. It’s quick to make and, if you prefer milder Indian food, this is a great paste to use because you don’t need to include chillies. When using the paste with meat, Amma would also add her own blend of garam masala to the mix and I’ve included the recipe for this too. It uses ingredients including cardamom, star anise and cloves (for the full recipe click on the image below), so it has a real warmth to it. But if you’re serving it as part of a vegetarian dish you could simply add ground coriander to the paste instead. What to add: Coconut is a very mild flavour and really suits all types of ingredients, however you could treat it like a korma and add cashews to it before adding the meat of your choice. See the Recipe Tips for details on quantities. Whatever you make with it, if you want more tang, you could grate a shallot, onion or garlic into the paste. And when heating it up, you could add green chillies too. Tarka base Tarka is also known as ‘tempering’ and a method of heating the spices and other ingredients in hot oil and ghee. This helps to release their flavours and it forms the foundation of many Indian dishes. This is a Punjabi-style of cooking, in that you cook the dal separately – with lentils, salt, turmeric and water in one pan and the tarka in another. Only once the dal is cooked and softened do you add the paste to it and then you cook it together for a few more minutes. What to add: Lentils are an obvious and comforting choice to mix with the tarka, but the paste also goes really well with eggs – you could make a spicy omelette – whisking a few spoonfuls of the tarka into your egg mix prior to frying. Likewise, you could do the same with scrambled eggs. Another option is paneer, which you could grate into the tarka before heating. Alternatively use it like a marinade, to coat meat before cooking. The key with all three curry bases is to not be put off experimenting with them. Add ingredients or spices that you love into them and try serving them alongside different ingredients and dishes. The joy of these bases – and cooking – is that you often find your new favourite meal by taking a few risks and being adventurous along the way. Originally published October 2024" }, "content_info": { "domain": "Food & Cooking", "subdomain": "Recipes" } }
{ "$oid": "68bace82eb3bdbfd0cc00250" }	2a2f52710f1ae8692a25c761386fb2630edb841f10c053488c47bd35e8a7b8ca	Frighteningly good ways to celebrate Halloween with food Whether you're throwing a party or having a quiet night in with a horror film, there are lots of treats you can make… https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0k0nsny.jpg If you’re (blood-)thirsty for a spooktacular celebration on Halloween, ditch the tricks and give yourself and loved ones a treat with these skele-fun baking ideas… Vampire breakfasts https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p08v784v.jpg Spooky pancakes: Give your pancakes or fluffy American pancakes stalks so they looks like pumpkins, and decorate them with a chocolate sauce cobweb or spider shapes.Use pumpkin flesh (or any squash) to make Halloween waffles. You don’t even need a waffle iron, just a griddle pan! #squashgoalsPut pumpkin spice in all sorts of breakfast favourites, from the top of your coffee to fragrant porridge and pancakes. If you want to make your own, mix together 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon with ½ teaspoon each of ginger, allspice, ground cloves and grated nutmeg (but surprisingly no pumpkin!). Spooky pancakes: Give your pancakes or fluffy American pancakes stalks so they looks like pumpkins, and decorate them with a chocolate sauce cobweb or spider shapes. Use pumpkin flesh (or any squash) to make Halloween waffles. You don’t even need a waffle iron, just a griddle pan! #squashgoals Put pumpkin spice in all sorts of breakfast favourites, from the top of your coffee to fragrant porridge and pancakes. If you want to make your own, mix together 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon with ½ teaspoon each of ginger, allspice, ground cloves and grated nutmeg (but surprisingly no pumpkin!). Have a Halloween party Throwing a party? There are fang-tastic food-based activities you can include: Who said treasure hunts were just for Easter? Plan one for kids, but with spooky Halloween cookies instead of chocolate eggs.Try a Halloween cocktail or mocktail. We’ve got a wicked mocktail for kids and boozy ones for adults!Have a toffee apple party. Get a selection of toppings so everyone can make their own piece of edible art.Be a lazy bones and have a movie night with Halloween party food. There are plenty of Halloween programmes to choose from on CBBC, or for adults iPlayer has some epic horror choices – you won’t even have to share the food with a crowd!Make a ghoulish dinner for the kids, with spaghetti worms and zombie eyes (green dyed eggs). Alternatively, for a grown-up meal, Nigella's squash and sweet potato curry with black rice, or Nadiya's blended purple beetroot pasta, scream Halloween. Who said treasure hunts were just for Easter? Plan one for kids, but with spooky Halloween cookies instead of chocolate eggs. Who said treasure hunts were just for Easter? Plan one for kids, but with spooky Halloween cookies instead of chocolate eggs. Try a Halloween cocktail or mocktail. We’ve got a wicked mocktail for kids and boozy ones for adults! Try a Halloween cocktail or mocktail. We’ve got a wicked mocktail for kids and boozy ones for adults! Have a toffee apple party. Get a selection of toppings so everyone can make their own piece of edible art. Have a toffee apple party. Get a selection of toppings so everyone can make their own piece of edible art. Be a lazy bones and have a movie night with Halloween party food. There are plenty of Halloween programmes to choose from on CBBC, or for adults iPlayer has some epic horror choices – you won’t even have to share the food with a crowd! Be a lazy bones and have a movie night with Halloween party food. There are plenty of Halloween programmes to choose from on CBBC, or for adults iPlayer has some epic horror choices – you won’t even have to share the food with a crowd! Make a ghoulish dinner for the kids, with spaghetti worms and zombie eyes (green dyed eggs). Alternatively, for a grown-up meal, Nigella's squash and sweet potato curry with black rice, or Nadiya's blended purple beetroot pasta, scream Halloween. Make a ghoulish dinner for the kids, with spaghetti worms and zombie eyes (green dyed eggs). Alternatively, for a grown-up meal, Nigella's squash and sweet potato curry with black rice, or Nadiya's blended purple beetroot pasta, scream Halloween. Spook up your cake Put edible eyes and gummy worms on everything, from cakes, cookies and brownies to sausage roll mummies. Custard creams make great tombstones, and you can create cobwebs from melted marshmallows – click the cobweb cake above for a video showing how it’s done! Transform cake into a ghoulish treat with orange, green, purple and black food colouring. Make spooky decorations for a Halloween cake or Halloween cupcakes. Lay a sheet of fondant over your cake for a simple ghost cake. If you’ve found the perfect frightful Halloween design on the internet, use our sponge cake calculator to make the cake size you want. MUAHAHA. The trick is to treat yourself Yes trick or treaters want the packaged stuff, but for yourself or your own party? Make the fudge, chocolates, cake or biscuits of your dreams / nightmares. Originally published October 2020	{ "data_info": { "lang": "en-GB", "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/halloween", "type": "HowTo", "processing_date": "2025-09-05T00:00:00", "delivery_version": "v1.0", "title": "Frighteningly good ways to celebrate Halloween with food", "content": "Whether you're throwing a party or having a quiet night in with a horror film, there are lots of treats you can make… https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0k0nsny.jpg If you’re (blood-)thirsty for a spooktacular celebration on Halloween, ditch the tricks and give yourself and loved ones a treat with these skele-fun baking ideas… Vampire breakfasts https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p08v784v.jpg Spooky pancakes: Give your pancakes or fluffy American pancakes stalks so they looks like pumpkins, and decorate them with a chocolate sauce cobweb or spider shapes.Use pumpkin flesh (or any squash) to make Halloween waffles. You don’t even need a waffle iron, just a griddle pan! #squashgoalsPut pumpkin spice in all sorts of breakfast favourites, from the top of your coffee to fragrant porridge and pancakes. If you want to make your own, mix together 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon with ½ teaspoon each of ginger, allspice, ground cloves and grated nutmeg (but surprisingly no pumpkin!). Spooky pancakes: Give your pancakes or fluffy American pancakes stalks so they looks like pumpkins, and decorate them with a chocolate sauce cobweb or spider shapes. Use pumpkin flesh (or any squash) to make Halloween waffles. You don’t even need a waffle iron, just a griddle pan! #squashgoals Put pumpkin spice in all sorts of breakfast favourites, from the top of your coffee to fragrant porridge and pancakes. If you want to make your own, mix together 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon with ½ teaspoon each of ginger, allspice, ground cloves and grated nutmeg (but surprisingly no pumpkin!). Have a Halloween party Throwing a party? There are fang-tastic food-based activities you can include: Who said treasure hunts were just for Easter? Plan one for kids, but with spooky Halloween cookies instead of chocolate eggs.Try a Halloween cocktail or mocktail. We’ve got a wicked mocktail for kids and boozy ones for adults!Have a toffee apple party. Get a selection of toppings so everyone can make their own piece of edible art.Be a lazy bones and have a movie night with Halloween party food. There are plenty of Halloween programmes to choose from on CBBC, or for adults iPlayer has some epic horror choices – you won’t even have to share the food with a crowd!Make a ghoulish dinner for the kids, with spaghetti worms and zombie eyes (green dyed eggs). Alternatively, for a grown-up meal, Nigella's squash and sweet potato curry with black rice, or Nadiya's blended purple beetroot pasta, scream Halloween. Who said treasure hunts were just for Easter? Plan one for kids, but with spooky Halloween cookies instead of chocolate eggs. Who said treasure hunts were just for Easter? Plan one for kids, but with spooky Halloween cookies instead of chocolate eggs. Try a Halloween cocktail or mocktail. We’ve got a wicked mocktail for kids and boozy ones for adults! Try a Halloween cocktail or mocktail. We’ve got a wicked mocktail for kids and boozy ones for adults! Have a toffee apple party. Get a selection of toppings so everyone can make their own piece of edible art. Have a toffee apple party. Get a selection of toppings so everyone can make their own piece of edible art. Be a lazy bones and have a movie night with Halloween party food. There are plenty of Halloween programmes to choose from on CBBC, or for adults iPlayer has some epic horror choices – you won’t even have to share the food with a crowd! Be a lazy bones and have a movie night with Halloween party food. There are plenty of Halloween programmes to choose from on CBBC, or for adults iPlayer has some epic horror choices – you won’t even have to share the food with a crowd! Make a ghoulish dinner for the kids, with spaghetti worms and zombie eyes (green dyed eggs). Alternatively, for a grown-up meal, Nigella's squash and sweet potato curry with black rice, or Nadiya's blended purple beetroot pasta, scream Halloween. Make a ghoulish dinner for the kids, with spaghetti worms and zombie eyes (green dyed eggs). Alternatively, for a grown-up meal, Nigella's squash and sweet potato curry with black rice, or Nadiya's blended purple beetroot pasta, scream Halloween. Spook up your cake Put edible eyes and gummy worms on everything, from cakes, cookies and brownies to sausage roll mummies. Custard creams make great tombstones, and you can create cobwebs from melted marshmallows – click the cobweb cake above for a video showing how it’s done! Transform cake into a ghoulish treat with orange, green, purple and black food colouring. Make spooky decorations for a Halloween cake or Halloween cupcakes. Lay a sheet of fondant over your cake for a simple ghost cake. If you’ve found the perfect frightful Halloween design on the internet, use our sponge cake calculator to make the cake size you want. MUAHAHA. The trick is to treat yourself Yes trick or treaters want the packaged stuff, but for yourself or your own party? Make the fudge, chocolates, cake or biscuits of your dreams / nightmares. Originally published October 2020" }, "content_info": { "domain": "Food & Cooking", "subdomain": "Recipes" } }
{ "$oid": "68bace83eb3bdbfd0cc00251" }	3c9c2eda5f0dd4895ba1699b128af331d677d05d752f60bf5cf5268e8c6c37b3	'Food is such a big part of Diwali festivities' Sanjana Modha shares her experiences of Diwali growing up in a Hindu home and talks us through some of her favourite celebratory dishes By Sanjana Modha https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jz73py.jpg A festival of light, life and love, Diwali is a celebration of togetherness and a time of reflection and gratitude. With our busy lifestyles, it’s a moment to stop, breathe and connect with family and friends. Growing up in a Hindu home, I was surrounded by the vibrant colours, bright lights, the joyous music, and the sense of community that comes with Diwali. It was always truly uplifting and sharing delicious food was – and still is – always a big part of the festivities. Now, as an adult, Diwali is very much the same as it has always been for me. Warm family gatherings, fireworks, masses of food to pack up and send out both in person and by post. The best thing is that I now celebrate with my son, Bodhi and all the other children who’ve come along since I was a little apprentice. They all enjoy getting involved in the cooking. Seeing their faces light up when making and eating sweets like lemon Laddoos adds extra sparkle to an already magical time of year. I can’t wait to do it all again this year. Whether you celebrate every year or are enjoying it for the first time, here’s how you can create dishes that match the festivities… When I was younger, I’d watch my mum create the grandest platters of glimmering sweets like laddoos, biscuits, jalebi and barfi to take to the temple as offerings (prashad) and to gift to family and friends. I was awe-struck every single time, since she’d go all out on the edible glitters, gold and silver edible foils and other decorations. As I grew older, I watched and learned, offering a hand whenever I could, just as she did with her own father. While some Indian sweets can take effort and experience to prepare, there are many easy options that look just as lovely. My easy rose and pistachio shortbreads, lemon laddoos and dark mango and ginger rocky road are effortless recipes if you’d like to make something yourself. If time isn’t on your side this year, you could always fill a little gift box with mixed roasted nuts (sweet or savoury), shop-bought chocolates or even a fruit basket and tie it with a ribbon. The offering of something to eat and nourish is the message we’re trying to convey. Shortbread is quick and easy to make and with a few flavour additions - such as rose and pistachio - it can feel really special Snacks and party foods are vital Diwali food is a snackish sort of affair. Crunchy, savoury, salty, spicy and sweet flavours are the beating heart of what we cook, eat and share. Savoury options I cook all the classics – including making my own chevdo – a savoury snack similar to Bombay mix. And, there are lots of options that are simple to make and great to share. Here are a few of my favourites… Samosa swirl This is a joy to make, since you can satiate your samosa cravings without any of the folding and deep frying it takes to make them. In this recipe, ready-rolled puff pastry does all the hard work for you. You stir-fry onion, ginger and chilli and after a few minutes add coarsely chopped (defrosted) frozen veg and boiled potatoes and garam masala together with other seasonings. Once coated, you mash it all together until it’s smooth and cool it– chilling in the fridge prior to use. Then, you spread it over a sheet of puff pastry which you then roll into a log shape, chopping in half and rolling both into thinner rope shapes. You then coil them around each other. Once baked it looks so impressive – despite being simple to make. It’s a real crowd pleaser. Indian cheese ball While you need to prep this the day before, it really is about as simple as it gets and when served, becomes a showstopping centrepiece. It’s a fab cheeseboard-style addition for parties. You take cream cheese, finely-grated mature cheddar cheese, chilli flakes, coriander and mango chutney and mix them together in a large bowl until thick and creamy. You then wrap it in clingfilm in a ball shape and stick it in the fridge for a day or two to firm up. When you’re ready to serve, you sprinkle Bombay mix and pomegranate seeds on a large plate and roll the cheese onto the mix making sure it’s evenly coated, then place a selection of crackers around it and serve. The key is to only add the Bombay mix right before serving to prevent it from turning soggy. Sweet options When you want to deliver the wow factor at Diwali use lots of embellishments, including edible silver and gold foils, sugar decorations, dried edible flower petals, dried fruits and nuts. They’ll add both flavour, texture and a touch of glamour. Spices like saffron, cardamom, nutmeg, aniseed and mace are typically used for flavouring Indian sweets and food colours or natural food dyes can be used to make dishes look as vibrant as possible. I’m a fan of taking traditional sweet dishes, which are full of nostalgia and giving them a modern twist, they’re a bit of me, really! I’ve created the following which taste as good as they look… Saffron, pistachio and white chocolate Viennese biscuits These are a beautiful gift for boxing up and sharing with friends and family. They require few ingredients to make but you will need a piping bag and nozzle. You sift flour, custard powder, icing sugar, salt and saffron into a bowl, then add your butter and mix until you’ve got a soft, sticky dough. You then pipe it onto a baking tray and bake. Once cooled you add your toppings. The key is that before you begin, you must make sure the butter is extremely soft or you may have difficulty squeezing the piping bag hard enough to extrude the dough. If this happens, don’t worry. Simply leave it out on the counter in a warm place for it to soften further before piping. Lemon laddoos Said to be the god Ganesha’s favourite treat, laddoos are always served during Diwali. If you’re preparing treats with younger family members, these are a good option because they’re super simple to mix and shape into balls. I use custard creams in mine which I blitz in a food processor until they resemble breadcrumbs and then stir in milk powder. After putting that aside, I heat condensed milk, water and lemon zest in a pan until the mix starts to bubble. I combine the milk mixture and biscuit crumb together and when cool, form it into 18 balls. Finally, I roll them in desiccated coconut. Alternatively, you could get creative and cover them in anything from colourful sprinkles to edible glitters and flower petals. Gulab Jamun-inspired Monkey Bread This is the ultimate sweet showstopper for any Diwali party. The classic version requires lots of effort – from making a complex milk dough and deep frying it, to making your own syrup. But this version, requires minimal fuss and still delivers on the key flavours of rosewater and cardamom and the texture of the pillowy-soft nuggets of bread. After making your dough you divide it into small balls and dip into a mix of butter and rose water, before tossing and coating in brown sugar, you then place them all in a bundt tin. After letting them rise for 30 minutes and then baking, you turn the tin upside down on a plate and top the bready cake with pistachios and rose petals. Published October 2024	{ "data_info": { "lang": "en-GB", "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/food_for_diwali", "type": "HowTo", "processing_date": "2025-09-05T00:00:00", "delivery_version": "v1.0", "title": "'Food is such a big part of Diwali festivities'", "content": "Sanjana Modha shares her experiences of Diwali growing up in a Hindu home and talks us through some of her favourite celebratory dishes By Sanjana Modha https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jz73py.jpg A festival of light, life and love, Diwali is a celebration of togetherness and a time of reflection and gratitude. With our busy lifestyles, it’s a moment to stop, breathe and connect with family and friends. Growing up in a Hindu home, I was surrounded by the vibrant colours, bright lights, the joyous music, and the sense of community that comes with Diwali. It was always truly uplifting and sharing delicious food was – and still is – always a big part of the festivities. Now, as an adult, Diwali is very much the same as it has always been for me. Warm family gatherings, fireworks, masses of food to pack up and send out both in person and by post. The best thing is that I now celebrate with my son, Bodhi and all the other children who’ve come along since I was a little apprentice. They all enjoy getting involved in the cooking. Seeing their faces light up when making and eating sweets like lemon Laddoos adds extra sparkle to an already magical time of year. I can’t wait to do it all again this year. Whether you celebrate every year or are enjoying it for the first time, here’s how you can create dishes that match the festivities… When I was younger, I’d watch my mum create the grandest platters of glimmering sweets like laddoos, biscuits, jalebi and barfi to take to the temple as offerings (prashad) and to gift to family and friends. I was awe-struck every single time, since she’d go all out on the edible glitters, gold and silver edible foils and other decorations. As I grew older, I watched and learned, offering a hand whenever I could, just as she did with her own father. While some Indian sweets can take effort and experience to prepare, there are many easy options that look just as lovely. My easy rose and pistachio shortbreads, lemon laddoos and dark mango and ginger rocky road are effortless recipes if you’d like to make something yourself. If time isn’t on your side this year, you could always fill a little gift box with mixed roasted nuts (sweet or savoury), shop-bought chocolates or even a fruit basket and tie it with a ribbon. The offering of something to eat and nourish is the message we’re trying to convey. Shortbread is quick and easy to make and with a few flavour additions - such as rose and pistachio - it can feel really special Snacks and party foods are vital Diwali food is a snackish sort of affair. Crunchy, savoury, salty, spicy and sweet flavours are the beating heart of what we cook, eat and share. Savoury options I cook all the classics – including making my own chevdo – a savoury snack similar to Bombay mix. And, there are lots of options that are simple to make and great to share. Here are a few of my favourites… Samosa swirl This is a joy to make, since you can satiate your samosa cravings without any of the folding and deep frying it takes to make them. In this recipe, ready-rolled puff pastry does all the hard work for you. You stir-fry onion, ginger and chilli and after a few minutes add coarsely chopped (defrosted) frozen veg and boiled potatoes and garam masala together with other seasonings. Once coated, you mash it all together until it’s smooth and cool it– chilling in the fridge prior to use. Then, you spread it over a sheet of puff pastry which you then roll into a log shape, chopping in half and rolling both into thinner rope shapes. You then coil them around each other. Once baked it looks so impressive – despite being simple to make. It’s a real crowd pleaser. Indian cheese ball While you need to prep this the day before, it really is about as simple as it gets and when served, becomes a showstopping centrepiece. It’s a fab cheeseboard-style addition for parties. You take cream cheese, finely-grated mature cheddar cheese, chilli flakes, coriander and mango chutney and mix them together in a large bowl until thick and creamy. You then wrap it in clingfilm in a ball shape and stick it in the fridge for a day or two to firm up. When you’re ready to serve, you sprinkle Bombay mix and pomegranate seeds on a large plate and roll the cheese onto the mix making sure it’s evenly coated, then place a selection of crackers around it and serve. The key is to only add the Bombay mix right before serving to prevent it from turning soggy. Sweet options When you want to deliver the wow factor at Diwali use lots of embellishments, including edible silver and gold foils, sugar decorations, dried edible flower petals, dried fruits and nuts. They’ll add both flavour, texture and a touch of glamour. Spices like saffron, cardamom, nutmeg, aniseed and mace are typically used for flavouring Indian sweets and food colours or natural food dyes can be used to make dishes look as vibrant as possible. I’m a fan of taking traditional sweet dishes, which are full of nostalgia and giving them a modern twist, they’re a bit of me, really! I’ve created the following which taste as good as they look… Saffron, pistachio and white chocolate Viennese biscuits These are a beautiful gift for boxing up and sharing with friends and family. They require few ingredients to make but you will need a piping bag and nozzle. You sift flour, custard powder, icing sugar, salt and saffron into a bowl, then add your butter and mix until you’ve got a soft, sticky dough. You then pipe it onto a baking tray and bake. Once cooled you add your toppings. The key is that before you begin, you must make sure the butter is extremely soft or you may have difficulty squeezing the piping bag hard enough to extrude the dough. If this happens, don’t worry. Simply leave it out on the counter in a warm place for it to soften further before piping. Lemon laddoos Said to be the god Ganesha’s favourite treat, laddoos are always served during Diwali. If you’re preparing treats with younger family members, these are a good option because they’re super simple to mix and shape into balls. I use custard creams in mine which I blitz in a food processor until they resemble breadcrumbs and then stir in milk powder. After putting that aside, I heat condensed milk, water and lemon zest in a pan until the mix starts to bubble. I combine the milk mixture and biscuit crumb together and when cool, form it into 18 balls. Finally, I roll them in desiccated coconut. Alternatively, you could get creative and cover them in anything from colourful sprinkles to edible glitters and flower petals. Gulab Jamun-inspired Monkey Bread This is the ultimate sweet showstopper for any Diwali party. The classic version requires lots of effort – from making a complex milk dough and deep frying it, to making your own syrup. But this version, requires minimal fuss and still delivers on the key flavours of rosewater and cardamom and the texture of the pillowy-soft nuggets of bread. After making your dough you divide it into small balls and dip into a mix of butter and rose water, before tossing and coating in brown sugar, you then place them all in a bundt tin. After letting them rise for 30 minutes and then baking, you turn the tin upside down on a plate and top the bready cake with pistachios and rose petals. Published October 2024" }, "content_info": { "domain": "Food & Cooking", "subdomain": "Recipes" } }
{ "$oid": "68bace83eb3bdbfd0cc00252" }	1821c6ad12d295dcf21baf1c39c516b7a07355f1290d0fb5e3a522938f4cae98	How to make delicious Chinese food on a budget by Jeremy Pang Almost 20 years ago, I turned up at university with a wok and a bag of rice. I also had a small box containing light and dark soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar (for tea, and to satisfy the Chinese belief that a pinch accentuates the sweetness of everything we cook) and eggs. My friends and I look back fondly at the dishes we cooked with these few ingredients. Having just packed for a staycation, a box of dry ingredients is in the car – it is very similar to that student box – and I’ll buy the eggs from honesty boxes. Chinese family kitchens are traditionally very small. In Hong Kong and China, most are barely big enough to fit an oven in. Consequently people are resourceful and efficient. But the humble egg is a key item in almost every household, and one of the secrets to budget cooking. I’ve included recipes here to show how to stir-fry, steam and braise them, using ingredients you are likely to have in your fridge at some point, and leftovers. Master simple cooking techniques If you’ve ever wondered how Chinese restaurants and takeaways create menus with hundreds of dishes on them, it’s down to this resourceful cooking. Once you’ve mastered a few techniques, you can cook with a huge amount of variation using a handful of ingredients local to you. It’s easier than you think. To most people, it all starts with a wok and stir-frying. Yet the other skills – steaming, braising, deep-frying, poaching, roasting and double-cooking (piecing together two or more of any of the techniques) – help create the balance of texture in our food. A balance of flavour, texture and colour, and textural differences within a dish or meal, are incredibly important to Chinese cooking. If you bite into a dumpling for example, the pastry may initially be soft but with an al dente bite, while the meaty filling should offer a little savoury resistance and add juiciness, and any vegetables inside will bring crunch. And if the dumpling were a pot sticker, I’m sure we all share that moreish feeling of the crunch we get from that crispy base. You might say it’s all about that base, but I say never forget the rest – it’s the perfect balance of flavour, texture and colour that makes you want to pick up a dumpling and immediately go for next, and then guard the plate from anyone around you. Chinese ingredients you shouldn’t be without Fresh ingredients such as ginger, garlic, spring onions, chillies, and coriander for those who enjoy it, are all essential components of Chinese cooking. All these ingredients are cheap, cheerful, and last a long time when stored properly. I tend to prepare them in different ways. When it comes to the Chinese storecupboard, don’t over-complicate it. Start with jasmine rice (in Chinese tradition, rice symbolises a heavenly link between the gods and earth and so should always be in abundance in your cupboard). Add dried noodles, light and dark soy sauce, pure sesame oil, oyster sauce, a good chilli paste or Chinese chilli oil, and hoisin sauce for good measure. The sauces, used in the right quantities, provide the balance of flavour you need for a versatile selection of dishes. The way you prep and cook all these ingredients, the amount you add, and the time you add them to the heat, can change their flavour. Make the most of the humble egg The egg is one of the few ingredients that is an essential part of most cuisines, and perhaps for this reason it is sometimes taken for granted. It can sit bold and bright, yet soft and oozing, on top of a noodle soup, and out-shadow everything else in that bowl just because it oozes so perfectly with its golden yolk. And eggs can work well with leftovers. Eggs can be the driver of flavour for a dish, such as in western pancakes or steamed egg custards. They can be used as a vehicle for other ingredients, like in an omelette. Or they work well as the ‘glue’ that binds things together, for instance for a posh panko breadcrumb coating. They can even hold up a cake, while providing a savoury base flavour that balances the sweetness.	{ "data_info": { "lang": "en-GB", "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/chinese_budget", "type": "HowTo", "processing_date": "2025-09-05T00:00:00", "delivery_version": "v1.0", "title": "How to make delicious Chinese food on a budget", "content": "by Jeremy Pang Almost 20 years ago, I turned up at university with a wok and a bag of rice. I also had a small box containing light and dark soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar (for tea, and to satisfy the Chinese belief that a pinch accentuates the sweetness of everything we cook) and eggs. My friends and I look back fondly at the dishes we cooked with these few ingredients. Having just packed for a staycation, a box of dry ingredients is in the car – it is very similar to that student box – and I’ll buy the eggs from honesty boxes. Chinese family kitchens are traditionally very small. In Hong Kong and China, most are barely big enough to fit an oven in. Consequently people are resourceful and efficient. But the humble egg is a key item in almost every household, and one of the secrets to budget cooking. I’ve included recipes here to show how to stir-fry, steam and braise them, using ingredients you are likely to have in your fridge at some point, and leftovers. Master simple cooking techniques If you’ve ever wondered how Chinese restaurants and takeaways create menus with hundreds of dishes on them, it’s down to this resourceful cooking. Once you’ve mastered a few techniques, you can cook with a huge amount of variation using a handful of ingredients local to you. It’s easier than you think. To most people, it all starts with a wok and stir-frying. Yet the other skills – steaming, braising, deep-frying, poaching, roasting and double-cooking (piecing together two or more of any of the techniques) – help create the balance of texture in our food. A balance of flavour, texture and colour, and textural differences within a dish or meal, are incredibly important to Chinese cooking. If you bite into a dumpling for example, the pastry may initially be soft but with an al dente bite, while the meaty filling should offer a little savoury resistance and add juiciness, and any vegetables inside will bring crunch. And if the dumpling were a pot sticker, I’m sure we all share that moreish feeling of the crunch we get from that crispy base. You might say it’s all about that base, but I say never forget the rest – it’s the perfect balance of flavour, texture and colour that makes you want to pick up a dumpling and immediately go for next, and then guard the plate from anyone around you. Chinese ingredients you shouldn’t be without Fresh ingredients such as ginger, garlic, spring onions, chillies, and coriander for those who enjoy it, are all essential components of Chinese cooking. All these ingredients are cheap, cheerful, and last a long time when stored properly. I tend to prepare them in different ways. When it comes to the Chinese storecupboard, don’t over-complicate it. Start with jasmine rice (in Chinese tradition, rice symbolises a heavenly link between the gods and earth and so should always be in abundance in your cupboard). Add dried noodles, light and dark soy sauce, pure sesame oil, oyster sauce, a good chilli paste or Chinese chilli oil, and hoisin sauce for good measure. The sauces, used in the right quantities, provide the balance of flavour you need for a versatile selection of dishes. The way you prep and cook all these ingredients, the amount you add, and the time you add them to the heat, can change their flavour. Make the most of the humble egg The egg is one of the few ingredients that is an essential part of most cuisines, and perhaps for this reason it is sometimes taken for granted. It can sit bold and bright, yet soft and oozing, on top of a noodle soup, and out-shadow everything else in that bowl just because it oozes so perfectly with its golden yolk. And eggs can work well with leftovers. Eggs can be the driver of flavour for a dish, such as in western pancakes or steamed egg custards. They can be used as a vehicle for other ingredients, like in an omelette. Or they work well as the ‘glue’ that binds things together, for instance for a posh panko breadcrumb coating. They can even hold up a cake, while providing a savoury base flavour that balances the sweetness." }, "content_info": { "domain": "Food & Cooking", "subdomain": "Recipes" } }
{ "$oid": "68bace83eb3bdbfd0cc00253" }	634acbfc082fdff5a118833a2685d407ba4186859805e38b7423c2424af5695e	Mary Berry’s tips for stress-free dinners In her new TV series, Dame Mary Berry solves celebrities’ dinnertime dilemmas. Here she shares her advice for making every evening meal a success… https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jz3sz3.jpg From confident cooks over-complicating dishes to nothing-in-the-fridgers always ordering takeaway, there are many dinnertime issues people face. But fear not, celebrity cook, Mary Berry is on hand to deliver simple tips to help make dinner time a breeze in her new six-part BBC Two series, Mary Berry’s Foolproof Dinners, which begins on BBC Two on Tuesday 29 October. Here are Mary’s top tips for making effortless meals… New to cooking? Go for all-in-one dinners https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jz3tct.jpg In the series, Mary visits Alan Carr to help him with his dinner dilemmas. “I’d never met [Alan] before. I'd seen a glimpse of him on television, I thought he was crazy and fun, so I was really excited about meeting him. And we did have so much fun! “He’d been away until the day before we filmed and when we went into the kitchen - there wasn't much action going on there. There was nothing in the cupboards or the fridge but I quickly realised this had nothing to do with Alan being away – he doesn’t generally cook. I said to him: ‘Well, how do you eat?’ and he told me, ‘It’s called takeaway, and it's delivered’. And he shouts through the letterbox, ‘leave it outside’ and that's it. “Growing up, Alan’s mum cooked a lot, she was a good cook and food growing up was quite important to him. So, I wanted to teach him some new, simple, go-to recipes that he could manage. “He loved the idea of having everything all in one tray. And that's exactly what we did, a quick beef chow mein, which he could make after a busy day at work.” Don’t feel guilty about using time-saving shortcuts https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jz3v1z.jpg In episode two of Foolproof Dinners, Mary spends time with Claudia Winkleman. “I know [Claudia] really well and I admire [her] a lot. She lives life to the full, she's frightfully clever and she’s just full of fun. She loves to cook but hasn't a lot of time because she has such a busy schedule, if she’s not filming The Traitors, she’s doing Strictly, or she's doing something else. “If she's in the kitchen, she doesn't want to hang about so I decided that I would show her how to make a really easy fast quiche, as a quiche was also a lovely reminder of her childhood. “Making pastry from scratch for a quiche is very time consuming so I suggested a time saving way – using a tortilla wrap as the base, you simply push it into the corners of a quiche tin. We added a filling of chestnut mushrooms, onions and mature English cheddar. It is delicious. “Claudia absolutely loved it, and we had great fun doing it. She was so enthusiastic and didn't miss a trick and did everything beautifully. You can tell the way somebody picks up something like a spatula to stir in a pan, that they know how to cook.” So, if Mary Berry says it’s fine to take easy wins, you really don’t need to feel guilty about doing the same. She adds: “Don’t be afraid of taking shortcuts. You know, if time is short, buy a packet of pre-cooked lentils or buy a packet of puff pastry. Don't feel guilty when you do these things.” Make special occasion dishes in advance This is something Mary’s been passionate about for years. If you’re making something special, you really don’t need to make everything on the day if it’s going to leave you stressed and short of time. “Make full use of your freezer. If you know somebody's coming at the weekend and you've got time on a particular day, you can make ahead and you can freeze it or make some for now and some for another day. This is something Mary demonstrates when she spends time with Countryfile’s Hamza Yassin. “He’s looking for a girlfriend and wants to woo them with food. “He loves fish, so we did a sensational halibut dish with clam sauce. I then brought him a decadent chocolate cake which is perfect for impressing a love interest and he loved it!” If Yassin wanted to recreate this in the future, the chocolate cake could be made in advance, frozen and then decorated on the day, making his pre-date routine more relaxing. Don’t overcomplicate things https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jz4zw1.jpg Sometimes the pressure mounts to deliver the perfect meal, but that doesn’t mean that dishes need to be complicated, says Mary. On the series she delivers this message to her “dear friend,” Sue Perkins. “In the kitchen Sue’s issue is that she's a very good cook, and knowledgeable about food but she sometimes over complicates things when hosting a crowd. She is very well travelled, and she's learned about different foods wherever she has gone but she never follows a recipe which can often lead to disasters. “We created an impressive rhubarb plate pie with homemade pastry that Sue just loved.” On the show, Mary shows us that while many dishes look (and taste) impressive, they don’t have to be complicated to make. Don’t be afraid of trying something new While Mary advises Sue Perkins to stick to recipes to avoid cooking disasters, this doesn’t mean you should be afraid to experiment with new flavours – it’s about finding the right recipe for your needs. Dragon’s Den star, Sara Davies gets to do just this when she spends time with Mary. “Sara doesn't cook but likes to try and her mission was to be able to host a dinner party for friends and family to mark her recent 40th birthday. “I taught her to make the most wonderful crab cakes, with a little spice and lemon grass they make a great party pleaser. Sara, being a craft person is very good with her hands was making the crab cakes very quickly – she was very good cook and so eager to learn, she was delightful.” And even Mary explains she pushes herself to try new dishes. “New things come up each year – we discover new techniques. And also, my children and grandchildren are inspirations. My daughter Annabel is a brilliant cook, she's always experimenting with different things, and she recommends new ingredients for me to try.” Watch Mary Berry’s Foolproof Dinners, Tuesdays from 29 October at 7.30pm on BBC Two or catch up on BBC iPlayer Originally published October 2024	{ "data_info": { "lang": "en-GB", "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/mary_berry_foolproof_dinners", "type": "HowTo", "processing_date": "2025-09-05T00:00:00", "delivery_version": "v1.0", "title": "Mary Berry’s tips for stress-free dinners", "content": "In her new TV series, Dame Mary Berry solves celebrities’ dinnertime dilemmas. Here she shares her advice for making every evening meal a success… https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jz3sz3.jpg From confident cooks over-complicating dishes to nothing-in-the-fridgers always ordering takeaway, there are many dinnertime issues people face. But fear not, celebrity cook, Mary Berry is on hand to deliver simple tips to help make dinner time a breeze in her new six-part BBC Two series, Mary Berry’s Foolproof Dinners, which begins on BBC Two on Tuesday 29 October. Here are Mary’s top tips for making effortless meals… New to cooking? Go for all-in-one dinners https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jz3tct.jpg In the series, Mary visits Alan Carr to help him with his dinner dilemmas. “I’d never met [Alan] before. I'd seen a glimpse of him on television, I thought he was crazy and fun, so I was really excited about meeting him. And we did have so much fun! “He’d been away until the day before we filmed and when we went into the kitchen - there wasn't much action going on there. There was nothing in the cupboards or the fridge but I quickly realised this had nothing to do with Alan being away – he doesn’t generally cook. I said to him: ‘Well, how do you eat?’ and he told me, ‘It’s called takeaway, and it's delivered’. And he shouts through the letterbox, ‘leave it outside’ and that's it. “Growing up, Alan’s mum cooked a lot, she was a good cook and food growing up was quite important to him. So, I wanted to teach him some new, simple, go-to recipes that he could manage. “He loved the idea of having everything all in one tray. And that's exactly what we did, a quick beef chow mein, which he could make after a busy day at work.” Don’t feel guilty about using time-saving shortcuts https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jz3v1z.jpg In episode two of Foolproof Dinners, Mary spends time with Claudia Winkleman. “I know [Claudia] really well and I admire [her] a lot. She lives life to the full, she's frightfully clever and she’s just full of fun. She loves to cook but hasn't a lot of time because she has such a busy schedule, if she’s not filming The Traitors, she’s doing Strictly, or she's doing something else. “If she's in the kitchen, she doesn't want to hang about so I decided that I would show her how to make a really easy fast quiche, as a quiche was also a lovely reminder of her childhood. “Making pastry from scratch for a quiche is very time consuming so I suggested a time saving way – using a tortilla wrap as the base, you simply push it into the corners of a quiche tin. We added a filling of chestnut mushrooms, onions and mature English cheddar. It is delicious. “Claudia absolutely loved it, and we had great fun doing it. She was so enthusiastic and didn't miss a trick and did everything beautifully. You can tell the way somebody picks up something like a spatula to stir in a pan, that they know how to cook.” So, if Mary Berry says it’s fine to take easy wins, you really don’t need to feel guilty about doing the same. She adds: “Don’t be afraid of taking shortcuts. You know, if time is short, buy a packet of pre-cooked lentils or buy a packet of puff pastry. Don't feel guilty when you do these things.” Make special occasion dishes in advance This is something Mary’s been passionate about for years. If you’re making something special, you really don’t need to make everything on the day if it’s going to leave you stressed and short of time. “Make full use of your freezer. If you know somebody's coming at the weekend and you've got time on a particular day, you can make ahead and you can freeze it or make some for now and some for another day. This is something Mary demonstrates when she spends time with Countryfile’s Hamza Yassin. “He’s looking for a girlfriend and wants to woo them with food. “He loves fish, so we did a sensational halibut dish with clam sauce. I then brought him a decadent chocolate cake which is perfect for impressing a love interest and he loved it!” If Yassin wanted to recreate this in the future, the chocolate cake could be made in advance, frozen and then decorated on the day, making his pre-date routine more relaxing. Don’t overcomplicate things https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jz4zw1.jpg Sometimes the pressure mounts to deliver the perfect meal, but that doesn’t mean that dishes need to be complicated, says Mary. On the series she delivers this message to her “dear friend,” Sue Perkins. “In the kitchen Sue’s issue is that she's a very good cook, and knowledgeable about food but she sometimes over complicates things when hosting a crowd. She is very well travelled, and she's learned about different foods wherever she has gone but she never follows a recipe which can often lead to disasters. “We created an impressive rhubarb plate pie with homemade pastry that Sue just loved.” On the show, Mary shows us that while many dishes look (and taste) impressive, they don’t have to be complicated to make. Don’t be afraid of trying something new While Mary advises Sue Perkins to stick to recipes to avoid cooking disasters, this doesn’t mean you should be afraid to experiment with new flavours – it’s about finding the right recipe for your needs. Dragon’s Den star, Sara Davies gets to do just this when she spends time with Mary. “Sara doesn't cook but likes to try and her mission was to be able to host a dinner party for friends and family to mark her recent 40th birthday. “I taught her to make the most wonderful crab cakes, with a little spice and lemon grass they make a great party pleaser. Sara, being a craft person is very good with her hands was making the crab cakes very quickly – she was very good cook and so eager to learn, she was delightful.” And even Mary explains she pushes herself to try new dishes. “New things come up each year – we discover new techniques. And also, my children and grandchildren are inspirations. My daughter Annabel is a brilliant cook, she's always experimenting with different things, and she recommends new ingredients for me to try.” Watch Mary Berry’s Foolproof Dinners, Tuesdays from 29 October at 7.30pm on BBC Two or catch up on BBC iPlayer Originally published October 2024" }, "content_info": { "domain": "Food & Cooking", "subdomain": "Recipes" } }
{ "$oid": "68bace84eb3bdbfd0cc00254" }	37bf1742e6eabecf9d6577b85551c963ac04e46596dec444fe6d2798766332be	How to make the best roast potatoes https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p09m6s9z.jpg by Poppy O'Toole I like to think I was put on this earth with a purpose. And that purpose is potatoes. I’ve spent the last 18 months knee-deep in potato content – creating countless how-to recipes and videos from how to perfect your mashed potato to Pommes Anna to simple hash browns. In doing so, I have somehow amassed over 300 million views. Mind-boggling! Some might say there are more important things to be passionate about, but let me tell you, it’s an incredibly useful passion to have. I’ve committed time and effort to discover what makes the perfect roast potato, and now it’s time to let you in on the secrets. Let’s start by looking at some of the new tips and tricks that have come about in the last few years. These are the additions to the classic roastie that we’re told take the spud to the next level – whether that’s in taste, texture or appearance. Bicarb in the boiling water Some people advocate adding a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda to the water during boiling to produce a crisper tattie. Bicarb will break down the surface of your potatoes, creating a starchier, softer exterior to your spuds that increases surface area for crunch. So do I personally bicarb? No. I’m an advocate for keeping things simple, letting the potato do the talking. A thorough boil should make a soft enough exterior and a fluffy interior. More on that later. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0b9qmsq.jpg Overnight dry Some people suggest that you leave your boiled spuds to dry overnight before you roast. This is because the best crunch is the result of the driest potato hitting the hot fat. It definitely works, but let’s be realistic. Unless you're super organised, it can be hard to find the time (or even to remember to), dry your spuds out the night before. It is however important to dry out your potatoes, but I think you can achieve this on the day with the help of a good ol’ colander and a tea towel. Herbs and other aromatics To achieve the perfect roast potato, it needs to be in the oven for a good amount of time, and a common error occurs when people herb up their potatoes too early. Garlic burns quickly, and rosemary even quicker, so add any herbs either toward the end of the roasting time or even after cooking, as a garnish. Now I love garlic, I love rosemary, but I also love potatoes. I’ll stand tall in saying the perfect roast potato doesn’t need the trimmings. It needs a potato, some oil/fat, seasoning and following the tips below. That’s all. Trust me. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0b9qmkr.jpg What potatoes are best for roasting? It's all about choosing the right potato. I’ve tried my fair share of varieties in the quest to achieve the perfect roast potato. My go-to again and again? It’s the Maris Piper. It’s the perfect level of starchiness and sturdiness to nail that gorgeous crunch but still remains light and fluffy inside. I could go on about which potatoes suit which recipes, and I have, if you want the full discussion. How big to cut the potatoes Go for larger chunks of potato so that the sides are bigger. This means more potato will be in contact with your pan or tray, giving it more direct heat to crunch up. The perfect roast potato has a balance of fluff in the middle and crispy exterior. Cut them too small and they're crunchy, but too hard. How long to boil potatoes before roasting Put your potatoes into cold water and bring them to the boil. I was always taught, if it comes from the ground, boil it from cold. This can sound weird – surely going straight into hot water will speed up the cooking time? The issue you have is the size of a good ol’ spud. It needs more time to cook all of the way through as it’s dense. If you were to throw them straight into boiling water, your potatoes start to cook on the outside faster than the inside and no-one wants uneven tatties. Heavily season your boiling water with salt. It adds flavour to the inside of your spud rather than just a seasoned outside later. Throw them in your seasoned water, and bring that water to boil, to allow more time to heat and salt to penetrate all the way through. Use the ‘fall off the knife test’ to know when your potatoes are boiled enough. It will differ with potato choice, but it’s usually about 15 minutes after bringing the water to boil that you’ll want to check them. The knife test is just prodding a potato with a table knife and lifting the potato out of the water. If the potato is still connected to the knife, they’re not ready yet. If the potato falls off the knife, you’re good to move onto the next step! I go for 15 minutes because, as stated, I go for a larger size of potato which will be able to take a bit more in the boil. Go big, or go home. It is also means that the insides are like actual mash in the middle by the time they’re finished. I'm hungry just thinking about it. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0b9qkww.jpg How to make roast potatoes crispy It's all about the steam-dry; potentially the most important bit of achieving a crispy, crunchy spud without the need for any extras. Once you’ve finishing the boiling stage, drain your potatoes in a colander, place the colander back over the pan you’ve boiled them in and immediately cover them with a clean tea towel. This absorbs the steam, keeps the potatoes warm and gives them a bit of extra time to dry out on the outside. I’d normally leave them there for about 10-15 minutes before giving them a quick shake and moving on to the next stage. Use this time to heat up your fat in the roasting tray before adding the potatoes. This pre-heating stage is equally important to get that crunch. In terms of choice of fat – for a normal roast dinner I’d use about three tablespoons of vegetable oil. For a special occasion, I might mix it up with some beef dripping, goose fat or duck fat. Whatever you use, it’s so important to ensure you get the tray in a 220C/200C Fan oven for about 10 minutes to heat up before you add your potatoes. You want to pour in your spuds and there be a nice fizz as the stream-dried potato hits the hot fat, the ultimate combo to achieve your crispy crunch. I wouldn’t turn them initially, just pour straight into the fat and give the tray a slight jiggle/shake to get them moving but it's not necessary to turn them over. I personally don’t ensure the full coverage of fat at this stage as the turn later on will make sure they’re pretty much covered anyway. Let it be Only turn your potatoes once. Once. You honestly can cut out the faff of turning them again and again, making your life easier during the process of getting everything ready on time for a roast dinner. There’s no need to keep opening the oven and moving your spuds around; you want the sides to have the maximum time touching the hot tray or dish, so you only need to turn them over once. I’d go 20 minutes before turning and then back in for another 20-30 minutes. It’s not set in stone that all sides are covered in fat - this slightly easier, care-free approach still achieves a classic, rustic, crunchy roast! Don't try to juggle roasting potatoes around a large joint at a lower temperature. Prioritise potatoes. Because I’m a huge advocate of resting your meat for the same amount of time that you cook it, I would rest the the joint for at least an hour in which time I would blast the roasties from start to finish. Rested meat, piping gravy, hot plates, a few sherries and fresh out of the oven roasties is always the winner for me. And there you have it. The perfect roast potato. The above tips might sound like a lot, but some I’m sure you do already, and the others, once you’ve tried and tasted the difference, it will become common practice in your house. It achieves such a perfectly simple, crunchy, fluffy potato, that I don’t think anything else can beat it. Pair that with lashings of gravy, delicious sides and our best roast centrepieces, and honestly… you’ll be living the dream.	{ "data_info": { "lang": "en-GB", "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/perfect_roast_potatoes", "type": "HowTo", "processing_date": "2025-09-05T00:00:00", "delivery_version": "v1.0", "title": "How to make the best roast potatoes", "content": "https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p09m6s9z.jpg by Poppy O'Toole I like to think I was put on this earth with a purpose. And that purpose is potatoes. I’ve spent the last 18 months knee-deep in potato content – creating countless how-to recipes and videos from how to perfect your mashed potato to Pommes Anna to simple hash browns. In doing so, I have somehow amassed over 300 million views. Mind-boggling! Some might say there are more important things to be passionate about, but let me tell you, it’s an incredibly useful passion to have. I’ve committed time and effort to discover what makes the perfect roast potato, and now it’s time to let you in on the secrets. Let’s start by looking at some of the new tips and tricks that have come about in the last few years. These are the additions to the classic roastie that we’re told take the spud to the next level – whether that’s in taste, texture or appearance. Bicarb in the boiling water Some people advocate adding a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda to the water during boiling to produce a crisper tattie. Bicarb will break down the surface of your potatoes, creating a starchier, softer exterior to your spuds that increases surface area for crunch. So do I personally bicarb? No. I’m an advocate for keeping things simple, letting the potato do the talking. A thorough boil should make a soft enough exterior and a fluffy interior. More on that later. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0b9qmsq.jpg Overnight dry Some people suggest that you leave your boiled spuds to dry overnight before you roast. This is because the best crunch is the result of the driest potato hitting the hot fat. It definitely works, but let’s be realistic. Unless you're super organised, it can be hard to find the time (or even to remember to), dry your spuds out the night before. It is however important to dry out your potatoes, but I think you can achieve this on the day with the help of a good ol’ colander and a tea towel. Herbs and other aromatics To achieve the perfect roast potato, it needs to be in the oven for a good amount of time, and a common error occurs when people herb up their potatoes too early. Garlic burns quickly, and rosemary even quicker, so add any herbs either toward the end of the roasting time or even after cooking, as a garnish. Now I love garlic, I love rosemary, but I also love potatoes. I’ll stand tall in saying the perfect roast potato doesn’t need the trimmings. It needs a potato, some oil/fat, seasoning and following the tips below. That’s all. Trust me. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0b9qmkr.jpg What potatoes are best for roasting? It's all about choosing the right potato. I’ve tried my fair share of varieties in the quest to achieve the perfect roast potato. My go-to again and again? It’s the Maris Piper. It’s the perfect level of starchiness and sturdiness to nail that gorgeous crunch but still remains light and fluffy inside. I could go on about which potatoes suit which recipes, and I have, if you want the full discussion. How big to cut the potatoes Go for larger chunks of potato so that the sides are bigger. This means more potato will be in contact with your pan or tray, giving it more direct heat to crunch up. The perfect roast potato has a balance of fluff in the middle and crispy exterior. Cut them too small and they're crunchy, but too hard. How long to boil potatoes before roasting Put your potatoes into cold water and bring them to the boil. I was always taught, if it comes from the ground, boil it from cold. This can sound weird – surely going straight into hot water will speed up the cooking time? The issue you have is the size of a good ol’ spud. It needs more time to cook all of the way through as it’s dense. If you were to throw them straight into boiling water, your potatoes start to cook on the outside faster than the inside and no-one wants uneven tatties. Heavily season your boiling water with salt. It adds flavour to the inside of your spud rather than just a seasoned outside later. Throw them in your seasoned water, and bring that water to boil, to allow more time to heat and salt to penetrate all the way through. Use the ‘fall off the knife test’ to know when your potatoes are boiled enough. It will differ with potato choice, but it’s usually about 15 minutes after bringing the water to boil that you’ll want to check them. The knife test is just prodding a potato with a table knife and lifting the potato out of the water. If the potato is still connected to the knife, they’re not ready yet. If the potato falls off the knife, you’re good to move onto the next step! I go for 15 minutes because, as stated, I go for a larger size of potato which will be able to take a bit more in the boil. Go big, or go home. It is also means that the insides are like actual mash in the middle by the time they’re finished. I'm hungry just thinking about it. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0b9qkww.jpg How to make roast potatoes crispy It's all about the steam-dry; potentially the most important bit of achieving a crispy, crunchy spud without the need for any extras. Once you’ve finishing the boiling stage, drain your potatoes in a colander, place the colander back over the pan you’ve boiled them in and immediately cover them with a clean tea towel. This absorbs the steam, keeps the potatoes warm and gives them a bit of extra time to dry out on the outside. I’d normally leave them there for about 10-15 minutes before giving them a quick shake and moving on to the next stage. Use this time to heat up your fat in the roasting tray before adding the potatoes. This pre-heating stage is equally important to get that crunch. In terms of choice of fat – for a normal roast dinner I’d use about three tablespoons of vegetable oil. For a special occasion, I might mix it up with some beef dripping, goose fat or duck fat. Whatever you use, it’s so important to ensure you get the tray in a 220C/200C Fan oven for about 10 minutes to heat up before you add your potatoes. You want to pour in your spuds and there be a nice fizz as the stream-dried potato hits the hot fat, the ultimate combo to achieve your crispy crunch. I wouldn’t turn them initially, just pour straight into the fat and give the tray a slight jiggle/shake to get them moving but it's not necessary to turn them over. I personally don’t ensure the full coverage of fat at this stage as the turn later on will make sure they’re pretty much covered anyway. Let it be Only turn your potatoes once. Once. You honestly can cut out the faff of turning them again and again, making your life easier during the process of getting everything ready on time for a roast dinner. There’s no need to keep opening the oven and moving your spuds around; you want the sides to have the maximum time touching the hot tray or dish, so you only need to turn them over once. I’d go 20 minutes before turning and then back in for another 20-30 minutes. It’s not set in stone that all sides are covered in fat - this slightly easier, care-free approach still achieves a classic, rustic, crunchy roast! Don't try to juggle roasting potatoes around a large joint at a lower temperature. Prioritise potatoes. Because I’m a huge advocate of resting your meat for the same amount of time that you cook it, I would rest the the joint for at least an hour in which time I would blast the roasties from start to finish. Rested meat, piping gravy, hot plates, a few sherries and fresh out of the oven roasties is always the winner for me. And there you have it. The perfect roast potato. The above tips might sound like a lot, but some I’m sure you do already, and the others, once you’ve tried and tasted the difference, it will become common practice in your house. It achieves such a perfectly simple, crunchy, fluffy potato, that I don’t think anything else can beat it. Pair that with lashings of gravy, delicious sides and our best roast centrepieces, and honestly… you’ll be living the dream." }, "content_info": { "domain": "Food & Cooking", "subdomain": "Recipes" } }
{ "$oid": "68bace84eb3bdbfd0cc00255" }	46317321814ed230ae1cf070006cc3834ceb615c812f52f540af36079ffee16d	How to make the most of breakfast ingredients all day by Hattie Ellis Breakfast spreads and sauces have a kitchen life beyond toast and fry-ups and are a great budget staple of cupboard cooking. Use your favourite pots to put a big dollop of flavour in both sweet and savoury dishes. Here are five all-day breakfast stars always on hand to flavour-bomb your food. Marmalade https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p093793q.jpg Like jam, marmalade brings fruity flavour as well as sweetness to your cooking, going especially well with anything that benefits from a hit of citrus or touch of bitter, like this bread and butter pudding. For savoury dishes, a spoonful of orange marmalade is great in a beef stew and it partners salty or rich meats – try it in a bacon sandwich, or as a glaze for baked ham or chipolatas. Make the most of marmalade in sweet foods by adding it to flapjacks, brownies, the buttercream for a sponge, steamed puddings – and a dish that surely warms up winter: marmalade and sherry pancakes, advises Pam-the-Jam Corbin in her The Book of Preserves. You can make the most of the shredded citrus in marmalade in any bake that uses candied peel, such as hot cross buns and fruit cake. Add it to mincemeat, or my ginger cake, which pairs the warmth of spices with citrus brightness, or a carrot cake. And you can drink marmalade too. A so-called Breakfast Martini can be made with or without booze, as recommended in Fiona Beckett’s How to Drink without Drinking. Over ice, shake together marmalade with gin or an alcohol-free gin alternative, orange juice, lemon juice and sugar syrup. Strain and add a drop of bitters if you like. Yeast extract such as Marmite https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0937blj.jpg Yeast extract is one of the most useful pots for cupboard cooking – and you don’t have to “love it or hate it”, as the slogan for Marmite goes, because you don’t specifically taste it when it’s used as a seasoning. Even a small amount is a great budget way to impart a deep umami flavour to stews and soups, adding oomph to vegetarian dishes in particular, such as my lentil bolognese. I once went into the kitchen of a Balti restaurant in Birmingham and discovered a catering pot of Marmite that was part of the flavouring of meat and veggie curries, so it works in a range of cuisines. This dark, mysterious substance is a by-product of the brewing industry (a concentrated paste of excess yeast) and has become a cult ingredient amongst Michelin-starred chefs, bakers and home cooks. Nigella’s Marmite spaghetti, taken from the doyenne of Italian cooking Anna Del Conte, is one of her most celebrated recipes, serving spaghetti with a sauce made from melted butter, Marmite and pasta water – budget cupboard comfort food at its finest. Sprouts aren’t just for Christmas and cooks are discovering the trick of tossing them with yeast-extract butter. Or take Marmite-on-toast to the next level: bakers now put yeast extract into bread doughs, and a small scrape adds bite and character to a Cheddar cheese toastie or an old-fashioned tomato sandwich. Be careful not to add too much of this powerful paste – ½–1 teaspoon is enough for a panful of food for four – and if you go too far, add a squeeze of lemon juice to counteract the saltiness. Honey https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0937cnf.jpg Winnie-the-Pooh’s top pot is a versatile ingredient that will glaze, drizzle and season as well as sweeten meat, fish and veg. Honey tastes sweeter than sugar, and just a small amount works a subtle magic in a sauce – try it in a vinaigrette to dress vegetables or a salad that uses salty ingredients such as olives or bacon, in a stir-fry sauce, or in a mayonnaise to make it extra good in a chicken sandwich or with salty chips. I love to make a salted Honeyscotch sauce as an easy treat. In a small saucepan over a gentle heat, stir and melt together 50g/1¾oz each of unsalted butter, soft brown sugar and honey with 125ml/4fl oz double cream. Bring to the boil and bubble for a minute to thicken, then stir in ¼ teaspoon flaky sea-salt. Serve hot or warm with ice cream or stewed fruit. Honey is a favourite ingredient of cooks around the world. Moroccans use it to sweeten a tagine, bolstering and balancing the sweet-and-sourness of tomatoes in particular, and the same trick works in a tomato pasta sauce. The Italians and Greeks drizzle it over cheese. This natural preserve has been a staple for centuries – the ancient Romans paired it with fish sauce to add sweetness to the savoury saltiness; a little honey melted into a stew with a tin of anchovies works in the same way. It also balances spice heat, for instance in a sauce paired with mustard or chilli. To measure out honey neatly and efficiently, first dip your spoon into just-boiled water, or measure out oil beforehand, to help the sticky stuff slide off cleanly. Peanut butter https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0937dsw.jpg Salty peanut butter is classically paired with sweetness in the American peanut-butter and jam sandwich. More substantial savoury dishes play around with this idea, with Asian recipes adding hot and sour too. Indonesian satay sauce, be it for chicken, pork, aubergine or tofu, mixes peanut butter with garlic, chilli and soy sauce. My peanut butter chicken is an easy family meal, with a sauce rich with similar ingredients, plus coconut milk and lime juice. Peanut butter is useful for adding inexpensive body, protein and flavour to bakes – and texture if you use the crunchy kind. Look out for it in recipes for cookies (including flourless cookies), brownies, blondies and cheesecake. Nigella’s chocolate peanut butter cake is one of the hits of her recent BBC TV series Nigella’s Cook, Eat, Repeat. Want a DIY challenge? You can make your own peanut butter by roasting peanuts in the oven until golden. Cool, then blend with salt and oil until the consistency is to your liking. Ketchup https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0937dxj.jpg This tangy condiment adds a sweet-and-sour element to many simple and inexpensive dishes beyond a bacon butty. It piles flavour and sweetness into a sticky BBQ sauce, mixes well with soy sauce and sesame oil for sweet-and-sour sauce, and can be added to subtly season a meat or veggie bolognese. Ketchup pairs well with seafood if used in moderation. Best known for putting the pink into a Marie-Rose prawn cocktail sauce (also delicious on a lettuce-based salad or in a sandwich), a quick shake also gives a welcome touch of tomato to white sauce for a fish pie. Posh ketchups tend to be well-flavoured with an array of spices, such as tamarind, cloves, mustard seeds, allspice and chilli. A quick shake instantly seasons a meatball sauce, or add to a base for homemade baked beans or to bolster other bean recipes that use tinned tomatoes. The wonders of ketchup aren’t just for the savoury. Some cooks use it – in careful quantities – in sweet dishes. It goes into chocolate cake and rich, chilli-infused chocolate pots in Florence Knight’s book One: A Cook and her Cupboard (1 tablespoon per 100g/3½oz dark chocolate – or try ½ tablespoon to see if you like the idea), adding a berry-like sweet acidity to the mix. It’s not for everyone, however, and best enjoyed when you don’t know the saucy source. Originally published January 2021	{ "data_info": { "lang": "en-GB", "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/breakfast_pots", "type": "HowTo", "processing_date": "2025-09-05T00:00:00", "delivery_version": "v1.0", "title": "How to make the most of breakfast ingredients all day", "content": "by Hattie Ellis Breakfast spreads and sauces have a kitchen life beyond toast and fry-ups and are a great budget staple of cupboard cooking. Use your favourite pots to put a big dollop of flavour in both sweet and savoury dishes. Here are five all-day breakfast stars always on hand to flavour-bomb your food. Marmalade https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p093793q.jpg Like jam, marmalade brings fruity flavour as well as sweetness to your cooking, going especially well with anything that benefits from a hit of citrus or touch of bitter, like this bread and butter pudding. For savoury dishes, a spoonful of orange marmalade is great in a beef stew and it partners salty or rich meats – try it in a bacon sandwich, or as a glaze for baked ham or chipolatas. Make the most of marmalade in sweet foods by adding it to flapjacks, brownies, the buttercream for a sponge, steamed puddings – and a dish that surely warms up winter: marmalade and sherry pancakes, advises Pam-the-Jam Corbin in her The Book of Preserves. You can make the most of the shredded citrus in marmalade in any bake that uses candied peel, such as hot cross buns and fruit cake. Add it to mincemeat, or my ginger cake, which pairs the warmth of spices with citrus brightness, or a carrot cake. And you can drink marmalade too. A so-called Breakfast Martini can be made with or without booze, as recommended in Fiona Beckett’s How to Drink without Drinking. Over ice, shake together marmalade with gin or an alcohol-free gin alternative, orange juice, lemon juice and sugar syrup. Strain and add a drop of bitters if you like. Yeast extract such as Marmite https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0937blj.jpg Yeast extract is one of the most useful pots for cupboard cooking – and you don’t have to “love it or hate it”, as the slogan for Marmite goes, because you don’t specifically taste it when it’s used as a seasoning. Even a small amount is a great budget way to impart a deep umami flavour to stews and soups, adding oomph to vegetarian dishes in particular, such as my lentil bolognese. I once went into the kitchen of a Balti restaurant in Birmingham and discovered a catering pot of Marmite that was part of the flavouring of meat and veggie curries, so it works in a range of cuisines. This dark, mysterious substance is a by-product of the brewing industry (a concentrated paste of excess yeast) and has become a cult ingredient amongst Michelin-starred chefs, bakers and home cooks. Nigella’s Marmite spaghetti, taken from the doyenne of Italian cooking Anna Del Conte, is one of her most celebrated recipes, serving spaghetti with a sauce made from melted butter, Marmite and pasta water – budget cupboard comfort food at its finest. Sprouts aren’t just for Christmas and cooks are discovering the trick of tossing them with yeast-extract butter. Or take Marmite-on-toast to the next level: bakers now put yeast extract into bread doughs, and a small scrape adds bite and character to a Cheddar cheese toastie or an old-fashioned tomato sandwich. Be careful not to add too much of this powerful paste – ½–1 teaspoon is enough for a panful of food for four – and if you go too far, add a squeeze of lemon juice to counteract the saltiness. Honey https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0937cnf.jpg Winnie-the-Pooh’s top pot is a versatile ingredient that will glaze, drizzle and season as well as sweeten meat, fish and veg. Honey tastes sweeter than sugar, and just a small amount works a subtle magic in a sauce – try it in a vinaigrette to dress vegetables or a salad that uses salty ingredients such as olives or bacon, in a stir-fry sauce, or in a mayonnaise to make it extra good in a chicken sandwich or with salty chips. I love to make a salted Honeyscotch sauce as an easy treat. In a small saucepan over a gentle heat, stir and melt together 50g/1¾oz each of unsalted butter, soft brown sugar and honey with 125ml/4fl oz double cream. Bring to the boil and bubble for a minute to thicken, then stir in ¼ teaspoon flaky sea-salt. Serve hot or warm with ice cream or stewed fruit. Honey is a favourite ingredient of cooks around the world. Moroccans use it to sweeten a tagine, bolstering and balancing the sweet-and-sourness of tomatoes in particular, and the same trick works in a tomato pasta sauce. The Italians and Greeks drizzle it over cheese. This natural preserve has been a staple for centuries – the ancient Romans paired it with fish sauce to add sweetness to the savoury saltiness; a little honey melted into a stew with a tin of anchovies works in the same way. It also balances spice heat, for instance in a sauce paired with mustard or chilli. To measure out honey neatly and efficiently, first dip your spoon into just-boiled water, or measure out oil beforehand, to help the sticky stuff slide off cleanly. Peanut butter https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0937dsw.jpg Salty peanut butter is classically paired with sweetness in the American peanut-butter and jam sandwich. More substantial savoury dishes play around with this idea, with Asian recipes adding hot and sour too. Indonesian satay sauce, be it for chicken, pork, aubergine or tofu, mixes peanut butter with garlic, chilli and soy sauce. My peanut butter chicken is an easy family meal, with a sauce rich with similar ingredients, plus coconut milk and lime juice. Peanut butter is useful for adding inexpensive body, protein and flavour to bakes – and texture if you use the crunchy kind. Look out for it in recipes for cookies (including flourless cookies), brownies, blondies and cheesecake. Nigella’s chocolate peanut butter cake is one of the hits of her recent BBC TV series Nigella’s Cook, Eat, Repeat. Want a DIY challenge? You can make your own peanut butter by roasting peanuts in the oven until golden. Cool, then blend with salt and oil until the consistency is to your liking. Ketchup https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0937dxj.jpg This tangy condiment adds a sweet-and-sour element to many simple and inexpensive dishes beyond a bacon butty. It piles flavour and sweetness into a sticky BBQ sauce, mixes well with soy sauce and sesame oil for sweet-and-sour sauce, and can be added to subtly season a meat or veggie bolognese. Ketchup pairs well with seafood if used in moderation. Best known for putting the pink into a Marie-Rose prawn cocktail sauce (also delicious on a lettuce-based salad or in a sandwich), a quick shake also gives a welcome touch of tomato to white sauce for a fish pie. Posh ketchups tend to be well-flavoured with an array of spices, such as tamarind, cloves, mustard seeds, allspice and chilli. A quick shake instantly seasons a meatball sauce, or add to a base for homemade baked beans or to bolster other bean recipes that use tinned tomatoes. The wonders of ketchup aren’t just for the savoury. Some cooks use it – in careful quantities – in sweet dishes. It goes into chocolate cake and rich, chilli-infused chocolate pots in Florence Knight’s book One: A Cook and her Cupboard (1 tablespoon per 100g/3½oz dark chocolate – or try ½ tablespoon to see if you like the idea), adding a berry-like sweet acidity to the mix. It’s not for everyone, however, and best enjoyed when you don’t know the saucy source. Originally published January 2021" }, "content_info": { "domain": "Food & Cooking", "subdomain": "Recipes" } }
{ "$oid": "68bace85eb3bdbfd0cc00256" }	8cf87bd8c12327ec1ee571baf52cb94699d0feeb882a4a323dd51c97fe3d52a3	‘I meal prepped all of my meals for a week, here’s what I learnt…’ In a bid to save time and money I spent one afternoon making every meal I’d eat for a week. I was surprised by how I felt by the end of the experiment… By Izzie Cox https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jx4yf6.jpg I’m an avid planner of meals, and often eat my leftovers for lunch, but I definitely wouldn’t class myself as a meal prepper – someone who makes every meal for days, or even weeks – all in one go. However recently I’ve become seduced by the aesthetic fridges packed with neatly stacked rows of food containers that have filled my social media feeds – on Instagram alone the hashtag ‘meal prep’ is attached to 15 million posts. These posts claim that meal prepping saves you time and money and makes it much easier to stick to healthier, balanced meals. What’s the science behind these claims? Research suggests meal planners consume a wider variety of food groups and nutrients than their off-the-cuff counterparts. Additionally a six-week group study of advanced meal prep showed that the overall time individuals spent on preparing meals across the week was significantly reduced. Interestingly, there could also be a lesser-discussed benefit – not having to make decisions around what you’re going to eat has been shown to reduce stress. Whilst I would love to reduce my food shop bill, I’m particularly interested in the time and health benefits – I frequently struggle with finding the time to fit in the gym or make a healthy, filling breakfast. By cooking everything in one go, would I free up some valuable time? The importance of ‘cross-over’ ingredients Knowing where to start was daunting, so I decided to get advice from an expert food prepper and influencer, Mimi Harrison. Her first top tip is to “plan a shopping list that incorporates lots of cross-over ingredients.” As well as keeping food waste to a minimum, this “can really help to save money whilst meal prepping.” So I came up with a meal plan that would use as many of the same ingredients as possible. For example, I thought I’d make a hidden veg tomato sauce that would include courgettes, so I looked for other recipes that could include the veg and popped beetroot burgers and roasted green veg on the menu. Think about ‘bases’ for your meal Another top tip from Harrison is to “make versatile bases - you don’t always have to meal prep a dish that seems the same throughout the week, you can mix it up!” This really resonates with me as my main concern with meal prepping a week’s meals is repeated dishes will be a snooze-fest by day seven. So I plan for my hidden veg tomato sauce to be served with both butter beans and pasta, and to evolve into a topping for pitta pizzas and a soup at the end of the week. This hidden veg tomato sauce was a great base for three different dishes Consider food storage I assembled my food containers and realised I was massively short, I’d need at least another 10, so I purchased these in advance. Harrison gives some clever storage tips: store salad, leafy veg and boiled eggs in airtight containers lined with damp kitchen roll, this will help keep them fresh. Always keep your carbs and sauces separate to maximise the flavour and textures when reheating – and with food hygiene in mind, use a combination of the fridge and freezer, with the latter vital for meals eaten later on in the week. Food prep day Sunday comes around, and I’ve cleared my diary for the day. I’ve come up with a plan for 21 meals for me (breakfast, lunch and dinner for seven days) and 14 for my two housemates as we eat our evening meals together. I head to the shops with a shopping list that’s smaller than it usually is. And lo-and-behold, when I get to the checkout I’ve spent around £40 less than we would on average – so far so good. I get home mid-afternoon, unpack the shopping and it’s time to get started. I’ve mentally allowed about three hours for the activity. I quickly realise this isn’t an achievable timeframe at all. Luckily, one of my housemates quickly volunteers to help make the dishes too. She starts on the roast aubergine and potato curry and I’m on the chickpea traybake pittas and we encounter our first problem, we don’t have enough oven trays or oven space to make both recipes simultaneously. Not to worry, I switch over to make-ahead couscous bowls whilst I await my time with the oven. For hours and hours the oven is in constant use, with multiple recipes being held up waiting for enough space to be cooked at the correct temperature. We cook for a total of nine hours. And we even had to get our other housemate in halfway through the cook-athon to tackle the mountain of washing up. The second we finished my housemate collapsed on the sofa and said she “never wanted to meal prep again”. She didn’t even want the bowl of aubergine and potato curry with rice and yoghurt mint sauce we’d prepared because she had “food fatigue” (although she changed her mind on this stance fairly rapidly). https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jx515k.jpg After nine hours of cooking, I had enough meals for the entire week Don’t forget the snacks It’s almost embarrassing that on the first full day of the challenge I realise I’ve made a mistake with the planning – snacks, or a lack of them. When putting together the meal plan it had sounded like lots and lots of food, so I presumed I’d be full without them. But I still need a mid-morning and mid-afternoon boost, I add grapes, a bar of dark chocolate and some crackers to my shopping list to pick up after work, but in the meantime? I end up making a dash to the nearest shop for some honey roasted cashews and a kombucha to drink at work. Sitting down for dinner with my second batch of aubergine and potato curry I’m pleasantly surprised by how great it is – even tastier than the first time round. A (potentially obvious) learning to take forward - dishes like curries, stews and ragus, whose flavours develop and get better as they sit, are perfectly suited to meal prep. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jx51vz.jpg My pack of pittas really went far. Here's one of my prepped lunches which sees them filled with chickpeas and salad Feeling restricted Uh-oh, it’s just a few days in and rebelliousness has kicked in. I feel constrained by the water-tight meal plan I’ve created for myself, desperate to just have a packet of instant ramen for dinner. But this touches on some advice from Harrison that I’d failed to take: “You don’t want to dive straight into having every single meal planned and prepped as it will feel too regimented and you’ll get bored easily.” She read me like a book. When it comes to meal prepping, flexibility is key. I manage to stick to the plan, but the issue arises again on Friday night, when one of my friends suggests a last-minute dinner out upon receiving some good news. I tuck into some spicy Sichuan hot pot whilst my poor little pitta pizza sits at home neglected. Sticking to it Despite life interfering with my best laid plans, I get to the end of the week with little to no food waste. There’s a couple of breakfast wraps and a portion of tomato sauce still in the freezer, but these are things that will last and help me out with next week’s meals. Notwithstanding my mid-week wobble – struggling with all meals being predetermined and missing the wind-down benefits of cooking – I could clearly see how much more time I’d had to play with all week. It was much easier to fit in a trip to the gym knowing I could have dinner within minutes of arriving home. And, there was the money saved, not only was my food shop cheaper but because I knew there was food waiting for me at home I was far less likely to pop into shops on the way home and buy unneeded extras. Would I do it again? I don’t think I’ll be prepping all of my meals, but the time, cost and health benefits are undeniable and I’d like to continue with some.As having time to make a healthy breakfast is my biggest struggle, I’m going to continue making breakfast wraps to keep in the freezer and have a batch of granola in the cupboard. I’d also like to have a few portions of something delicious stored in the freezer for emergency lunches and dinners, rather than reaching for instant ramen or the takeaway apps. And if you were desperate to know my housemates reviews by the end of the week? Here you go: “Would do it again, there was a lot less washing up.” My week-long meal plan Originally published October 2024	{ "data_info": { "lang": "en-GB", "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/meal_prep_week", "type": "HowTo", "processing_date": "2025-09-05T00:00:00", "delivery_version": "v1.0", "title": "‘I meal prepped all of my meals for a week, here’s what I learnt…’", "content": "In a bid to save time and money I spent one afternoon making every meal I’d eat for a week. I was surprised by how I felt by the end of the experiment… By Izzie Cox https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jx4yf6.jpg I’m an avid planner of meals, and often eat my leftovers for lunch, but I definitely wouldn’t class myself as a meal prepper – someone who makes every meal for days, or even weeks – all in one go. However recently I’ve become seduced by the aesthetic fridges packed with neatly stacked rows of food containers that have filled my social media feeds – on Instagram alone the hashtag ‘meal prep’ is attached to 15 million posts. These posts claim that meal prepping saves you time and money and makes it much easier to stick to healthier, balanced meals. What’s the science behind these claims? Research suggests meal planners consume a wider variety of food groups and nutrients than their off-the-cuff counterparts. Additionally a six-week group study of advanced meal prep showed that the overall time individuals spent on preparing meals across the week was significantly reduced. Interestingly, there could also be a lesser-discussed benefit – not having to make decisions around what you’re going to eat has been shown to reduce stress. Whilst I would love to reduce my food shop bill, I’m particularly interested in the time and health benefits – I frequently struggle with finding the time to fit in the gym or make a healthy, filling breakfast. By cooking everything in one go, would I free up some valuable time? The importance of ‘cross-over’ ingredients Knowing where to start was daunting, so I decided to get advice from an expert food prepper and influencer, Mimi Harrison. Her first top tip is to “plan a shopping list that incorporates lots of cross-over ingredients.” As well as keeping food waste to a minimum, this “can really help to save money whilst meal prepping.” So I came up with a meal plan that would use as many of the same ingredients as possible. For example, I thought I’d make a hidden veg tomato sauce that would include courgettes, so I looked for other recipes that could include the veg and popped beetroot burgers and roasted green veg on the menu. Think about ‘bases’ for your meal Another top tip from Harrison is to “make versatile bases - you don’t always have to meal prep a dish that seems the same throughout the week, you can mix it up!” This really resonates with me as my main concern with meal prepping a week’s meals is repeated dishes will be a snooze-fest by day seven. So I plan for my hidden veg tomato sauce to be served with both butter beans and pasta, and to evolve into a topping for pitta pizzas and a soup at the end of the week. This hidden veg tomato sauce was a great base for three different dishes Consider food storage I assembled my food containers and realised I was massively short, I’d need at least another 10, so I purchased these in advance. Harrison gives some clever storage tips: store salad, leafy veg and boiled eggs in airtight containers lined with damp kitchen roll, this will help keep them fresh. Always keep your carbs and sauces separate to maximise the flavour and textures when reheating – and with food hygiene in mind, use a combination of the fridge and freezer, with the latter vital for meals eaten later on in the week. Food prep day Sunday comes around, and I’ve cleared my diary for the day. I’ve come up with a plan for 21 meals for me (breakfast, lunch and dinner for seven days) and 14 for my two housemates as we eat our evening meals together. I head to the shops with a shopping list that’s smaller than it usually is. And lo-and-behold, when I get to the checkout I’ve spent around £40 less than we would on average – so far so good. I get home mid-afternoon, unpack the shopping and it’s time to get started. I’ve mentally allowed about three hours for the activity. I quickly realise this isn’t an achievable timeframe at all. Luckily, one of my housemates quickly volunteers to help make the dishes too. She starts on the roast aubergine and potato curry and I’m on the chickpea traybake pittas and we encounter our first problem, we don’t have enough oven trays or oven space to make both recipes simultaneously. Not to worry, I switch over to make-ahead couscous bowls whilst I await my time with the oven. For hours and hours the oven is in constant use, with multiple recipes being held up waiting for enough space to be cooked at the correct temperature. We cook for a total of nine hours. And we even had to get our other housemate in halfway through the cook-athon to tackle the mountain of washing up. The second we finished my housemate collapsed on the sofa and said she “never wanted to meal prep again”. She didn’t even want the bowl of aubergine and potato curry with rice and yoghurt mint sauce we’d prepared because she had “food fatigue” (although she changed her mind on this stance fairly rapidly). https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jx515k.jpg After nine hours of cooking, I had enough meals for the entire week Don’t forget the snacks It’s almost embarrassing that on the first full day of the challenge I realise I’ve made a mistake with the planning – snacks, or a lack of them. When putting together the meal plan it had sounded like lots and lots of food, so I presumed I’d be full without them. But I still need a mid-morning and mid-afternoon boost, I add grapes, a bar of dark chocolate and some crackers to my shopping list to pick up after work, but in the meantime? I end up making a dash to the nearest shop for some honey roasted cashews and a kombucha to drink at work. Sitting down for dinner with my second batch of aubergine and potato curry I’m pleasantly surprised by how great it is – even tastier than the first time round. A (potentially obvious) learning to take forward - dishes like curries, stews and ragus, whose flavours develop and get better as they sit, are perfectly suited to meal prep. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jx51vz.jpg My pack of pittas really went far. Here's one of my prepped lunches which sees them filled with chickpeas and salad Feeling restricted Uh-oh, it’s just a few days in and rebelliousness has kicked in. I feel constrained by the water-tight meal plan I’ve created for myself, desperate to just have a packet of instant ramen for dinner. But this touches on some advice from Harrison that I’d failed to take: “You don’t want to dive straight into having every single meal planned and prepped as it will feel too regimented and you’ll get bored easily.” She read me like a book. When it comes to meal prepping, flexibility is key. I manage to stick to the plan, but the issue arises again on Friday night, when one of my friends suggests a last-minute dinner out upon receiving some good news. I tuck into some spicy Sichuan hot pot whilst my poor little pitta pizza sits at home neglected. Sticking to it Despite life interfering with my best laid plans, I get to the end of the week with little to no food waste. There’s a couple of breakfast wraps and a portion of tomato sauce still in the freezer, but these are things that will last and help me out with next week’s meals. Notwithstanding my mid-week wobble – struggling with all meals being predetermined and missing the wind-down benefits of cooking – I could clearly see how much more time I’d had to play with all week. It was much easier to fit in a trip to the gym knowing I could have dinner within minutes of arriving home. And, there was the money saved, not only was my food shop cheaper but because I knew there was food waiting for me at home I was far less likely to pop into shops on the way home and buy unneeded extras. Would I do it again? I don’t think I’ll be prepping all of my meals, but the time, cost and health benefits are undeniable and I’d like to continue with some.As having time to make a healthy breakfast is my biggest struggle, I’m going to continue making breakfast wraps to keep in the freezer and have a batch of granola in the cupboard. I’d also like to have a few portions of something delicious stored in the freezer for emergency lunches and dinners, rather than reaching for instant ramen or the takeaway apps. And if you were desperate to know my housemates reviews by the end of the week? Here you go: “Would do it again, there was a lot less washing up.” My week-long meal plan Originally published October 2024" }, "content_info": { "domain": "Food & Cooking", "subdomain": "Recipes" } }
{ "$oid": "68bace85eb3bdbfd0cc00257" }	10ce7d9302d84c13eec72bc5b6eaa1c276b9984f48895fec95da8d78886e47e6	‘I tried to eat 30 plant points in a week – here’s what happened…’ Could I really reach the magic number without spending more on my weekly food shop? By Lauren Potts https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jwlv5q.jpg But first - what counts as a plant point? There’s six groups to choose from: fruit, veg, wholegrains (like brown rice, oats, barley and quinoa) , legumes (i.e. lentils, chickpeas and beans), nuts and seeds, and herbs and spices. Tofu also makes the list as it’s made from soya; ditto tea, which comes from a plant. And happily, the same goes for coffee and dark chocolate (with 70% cocoa solids or more) since they come from seeds. Most plants count for one point, regardless of how much consumed except herbs, spices, tea, coffee, stock and olive oil, which count for a quarter. What doesn’t count is eating it more than once, so if you eat an apple one day, you don’t get any more points for eating it the next. Nor does it count when the plant becomes overly processed. Dr Rupy’s green vegetable and feta pie is packed with points How to plan for more plants Going into this experiment, I was confident about hitting the target. I eat quite healthily and estimated I was eating about 20 plants a week. Where I suspected I might fall is repetition - I often batch cook and eat the same meals on rotation. I’m also gluten intolerant which reduces my options for wholegrain sources. Consultant gut health dietitian, Kirsten Jackson recommends making sure each meal has a carbohydrate – oats, wild rice, buckwheat and quinoa all count. She also suggests making clever additions to your typical roster of dishes rather than starting from scratch. “I think where a lot of people go wrong is they think they need new recipes or a whole overhaul,” she says. “With this it’s all about ‘the more the merrier’ and looking at what you’re already eating and bringing [other] foods in.” She suggests adding vegetables or lentils to traditionally low-fibre dishes like spaghetti bolognese, or using tofu instead of red meat, to increase plant points. “Look at basing it on what you’re already eating and pimping it up,” she says. With that in mind I made sure my cupboards and fridge were stocked with nuts and veg. To ensure variety without the expense, I bought cheaper frozen fruit instead of fresh and added to my shopping basket canned mixed beans - a clever hack since each tin counts for six points (one for each bean). All told, I spent the same amount in the supermarket as I normally would, £40-50 for the week. A strong start I suspected the clean slate of a fresh week would see me swiftly rack up points - at least in the beginning - and I wasn’t wrong. I kicked off Monday with tomatoes and spinach alongside scrambled eggs and tea (2.25 points) for breakfast, then soup for lunch made from carrots, onion, garlic, stock and spices, plus an extra point for cucumber and crackers on the side (5). But it was dinner that really counted: tofu with quinoa, edamame, avocado, spring onion, pak choy, two types of sesame seeds, oil and ginger, taking my daily total to 15.75 points… proof that one very well-planned meal can massively boost your plant intake. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jw45wk.jpg This is my tofu-based dinner which really cranked up my points tally for the day Keen to keep it up, porridge on Tuesday morning (oats, banana, cinnamon and hazelnuts) earned me another 3.25 points, while slow-cooked chicken thighs, leeks and peas for dinner accounted for another three. Lunch was packed with points thanks to the mixed beans on top of a baked sweet potato with tuna and salad leaves (eight points). An apple, coffee and dark chocolate took my total to 17.25 for the day. And there you have it. 33 points. I hadn’t planned to complete the challenge in two days but found it ridiculously easy to do so. Maintaining the variety, however, was far more difficult. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jw461v.jpg My porridge - with oats, banana, cinnamon and hazelnuts Dwindling enthusiasm I soon got into the habit of training myself to make swaps. I switched cinnamon for ginger in my porridge and the hazelnuts for pecans - both very nice changes. But then I found myself in the quite bizarre situation of eating walnuts, which I don’t even like, simply for the sake of an extra plant point. Jackson says we need to have some awareness around what we’re eating but not let it become all-consuming, which is seemingly where I was heading. Rather than doing too much all at once, she recommends setting weekly goals, such as buying three types of vegetables and using them up or having a pot of mixed seeds on the table that you add to meals. “It’s about building in habits, rather than becoming obsessive,” she cautions. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jw46hs.jpg The sweet potato I had was a good example of how you can adapt what you're already eating - I just added a tin of mixed beans to my topping and immediately upped my points As the week went on, my enthusiasm and points tally dwindled. I fell into the trap of thinking I needed to cook something different every day but also picked up a few easy wins, such as sprinkling sunflower seeds and radish on my avocado on toast (two points) and adding toppings to soup like chilli, peanuts, basil and cauliflower leaves (four extra points). Wednesday and Thursday still garnered a respectable 22.25 points thanks to a green fish curry, while trying out a new recipe – halloumi bake - introduced more vegetables to the week. But by Friday I was eating an increasing pile of leftovers, meaning I finished the day on two points. As for the weekend, when I was visiting friends and away from my well-stocked kitchen, I added precisely one point for each day. It was inevitable the tally would taper off. But I hardly needed to be concerned - I finished the week on a whopping 58.5 plant points… almost double what’s recommended. Some might even call that over the top. In conclusion It was easy to adjust to counting plant points and I was surprised by how quickly they totted up. I suspect that’s partly because I had the time and inclination to make meals from scratch - eating on the go and at the mercy of convenience food would make it a far harder task. But I couldn’t help but think much of it was common sense and the idea of getting 30 plant points a week is little more than a rebrand of the message we’ve heard countless times before: eat a healthy, balanced diet that looks like the rainbow. “Every diet that comes out, whether it’s ketogenic, carnivore, eat that, eat this, it all comes back to the most healthy diet, which is the Mediterranean diet, every single time,” says Jackson. “It’s already doing 30 plant sources a week - but that’s not a sexy message. If I go on Instagram and do a post that says ‘eat in moderation, have olive oil,’ the views are so low. But if I say, ‘you must have 30 plant points’ everyone is clicking on it.” What the experiment did remind me of is the importance of variety. Switching up nuts and spices, adding seeds, or even just buying fruit I wouldn’t normally choose are all good habits. But I don’t need to be so gung-ho next time. Originally published October 2024	{ "data_info": { "lang": "en-GB", "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/how_easy_to_eat_30_plant_points_a_week", "type": "HowTo", "processing_date": "2025-09-05T00:00:00", "delivery_version": "v1.0", "title": "‘I tried to eat 30 plant points in a week – here’s what happened…’", "content": "Could I really reach the magic number without spending more on my weekly food shop? By Lauren Potts https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jwlv5q.jpg But first - what counts as a plant point? There’s six groups to choose from: fruit, veg, wholegrains (like brown rice, oats, barley and quinoa) , legumes (i.e. lentils, chickpeas and beans), nuts and seeds, and herbs and spices. Tofu also makes the list as it’s made from soya; ditto tea, which comes from a plant. And happily, the same goes for coffee and dark chocolate (with 70% cocoa solids or more) since they come from seeds. Most plants count for one point, regardless of how much consumed except herbs, spices, tea, coffee, stock and olive oil, which count for a quarter. What doesn’t count is eating it more than once, so if you eat an apple one day, you don’t get any more points for eating it the next. Nor does it count when the plant becomes overly processed. Dr Rupy’s green vegetable and feta pie is packed with points How to plan for more plants Going into this experiment, I was confident about hitting the target. I eat quite healthily and estimated I was eating about 20 plants a week. Where I suspected I might fall is repetition - I often batch cook and eat the same meals on rotation. I’m also gluten intolerant which reduces my options for wholegrain sources. Consultant gut health dietitian, Kirsten Jackson recommends making sure each meal has a carbohydrate – oats, wild rice, buckwheat and quinoa all count. She also suggests making clever additions to your typical roster of dishes rather than starting from scratch. “I think where a lot of people go wrong is they think they need new recipes or a whole overhaul,” she says. “With this it’s all about ‘the more the merrier’ and looking at what you’re already eating and bringing [other] foods in.” She suggests adding vegetables or lentils to traditionally low-fibre dishes like spaghetti bolognese, or using tofu instead of red meat, to increase plant points. “Look at basing it on what you’re already eating and pimping it up,” she says. With that in mind I made sure my cupboards and fridge were stocked with nuts and veg. To ensure variety without the expense, I bought cheaper frozen fruit instead of fresh and added to my shopping basket canned mixed beans - a clever hack since each tin counts for six points (one for each bean). All told, I spent the same amount in the supermarket as I normally would, £40-50 for the week. A strong start I suspected the clean slate of a fresh week would see me swiftly rack up points - at least in the beginning - and I wasn’t wrong. I kicked off Monday with tomatoes and spinach alongside scrambled eggs and tea (2.25 points) for breakfast, then soup for lunch made from carrots, onion, garlic, stock and spices, plus an extra point for cucumber and crackers on the side (5). But it was dinner that really counted: tofu with quinoa, edamame, avocado, spring onion, pak choy, two types of sesame seeds, oil and ginger, taking my daily total to 15.75 points… proof that one very well-planned meal can massively boost your plant intake. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jw45wk.jpg This is my tofu-based dinner which really cranked up my points tally for the day Keen to keep it up, porridge on Tuesday morning (oats, banana, cinnamon and hazelnuts) earned me another 3.25 points, while slow-cooked chicken thighs, leeks and peas for dinner accounted for another three. Lunch was packed with points thanks to the mixed beans on top of a baked sweet potato with tuna and salad leaves (eight points). An apple, coffee and dark chocolate took my total to 17.25 for the day. And there you have it. 33 points. I hadn’t planned to complete the challenge in two days but found it ridiculously easy to do so. Maintaining the variety, however, was far more difficult. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jw461v.jpg My porridge - with oats, banana, cinnamon and hazelnuts Dwindling enthusiasm I soon got into the habit of training myself to make swaps. I switched cinnamon for ginger in my porridge and the hazelnuts for pecans - both very nice changes. But then I found myself in the quite bizarre situation of eating walnuts, which I don’t even like, simply for the sake of an extra plant point. Jackson says we need to have some awareness around what we’re eating but not let it become all-consuming, which is seemingly where I was heading. Rather than doing too much all at once, she recommends setting weekly goals, such as buying three types of vegetables and using them up or having a pot of mixed seeds on the table that you add to meals. “It’s about building in habits, rather than becoming obsessive,” she cautions. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jw46hs.jpg The sweet potato I had was a good example of how you can adapt what you're already eating - I just added a tin of mixed beans to my topping and immediately upped my points As the week went on, my enthusiasm and points tally dwindled. I fell into the trap of thinking I needed to cook something different every day but also picked up a few easy wins, such as sprinkling sunflower seeds and radish on my avocado on toast (two points) and adding toppings to soup like chilli, peanuts, basil and cauliflower leaves (four extra points). Wednesday and Thursday still garnered a respectable 22.25 points thanks to a green fish curry, while trying out a new recipe – halloumi bake - introduced more vegetables to the week. But by Friday I was eating an increasing pile of leftovers, meaning I finished the day on two points. As for the weekend, when I was visiting friends and away from my well-stocked kitchen, I added precisely one point for each day. It was inevitable the tally would taper off. But I hardly needed to be concerned - I finished the week on a whopping 58.5 plant points… almost double what’s recommended. Some might even call that over the top. In conclusion It was easy to adjust to counting plant points and I was surprised by how quickly they totted up. I suspect that’s partly because I had the time and inclination to make meals from scratch - eating on the go and at the mercy of convenience food would make it a far harder task. But I couldn’t help but think much of it was common sense and the idea of getting 30 plant points a week is little more than a rebrand of the message we’ve heard countless times before: eat a healthy, balanced diet that looks like the rainbow. “Every diet that comes out, whether it’s ketogenic, carnivore, eat that, eat this, it all comes back to the most healthy diet, which is the Mediterranean diet, every single time,” says Jackson. “It’s already doing 30 plant sources a week - but that’s not a sexy message. If I go on Instagram and do a post that says ‘eat in moderation, have olive oil,’ the views are so low. But if I say, ‘you must have 30 plant points’ everyone is clicking on it.” What the experiment did remind me of is the importance of variety. Switching up nuts and spices, adding seeds, or even just buying fruit I wouldn’t normally choose are all good habits. But I don’t need to be so gung-ho next time. Originally published October 2024" }, "content_info": { "domain": "Food & Cooking", "subdomain": "Recipes" } }
{ "$oid": "68bace85eb3bdbfd0cc00258" }	9de0d39ad3dcf5b3ef507a796363f0966fe8070c508cee7cea95d90f45fd4066	How to lower cholesterol through diet High cholesterol is a common health concern, but how can changing your diet help to bring it down? By Tai Ibitoye https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jw53jw.jpg Results from an NHS Health Survey revealed 59% of people living in England have high cholesterol levels, with many unaware that they have it. High cholesterol typically presents no symptoms, but does increase the risk of developing serious health problems if left unmanaged. What is cholesterol? Cholesterol is a natural fatty substance produced in the liver, it can also be found in some of the foods we eat. We all need some cholesterol in our bodies to maintain healthy cells and to contribute to the making of certain hormones and vitamin D which is vital for bone, teeth and muscle health. In addition to this, cholesterol is used to make bile, a digestive fluid, which helps to absorb dietary fat. Cholesterol travels through the blood on proteins called lipoproteins. The main two types are high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, often known as the ‘good’ cholesterol and non-high-density lipoprotein (non-HDL), often known as the ‘bad’ cholesterol, which includes LDL. Too much non-HDL can lead to a build-up of fatty deposits inside the walls of blood vessels, which carry blood throughout the body, causing them to become narrowed or blocked. This can increase the risk of health problems such as heart disease and stroke. Could a mix of veg and fibre-rich dishes like this spiced roasted cauliflower with lentils and tahini yoghurt recipe help lower your cholesterol levels? How to lower cholesterol Making small changes to your diet can make a significant difference to cholesterol levels and overall heart health. Choose fat sources wisely A common misconception is that by eliminating all fats from your diet you’ll lower your cholesterol level. However, we all need fats and a small amount can form part of a healthy balanced diet. It can help provide us with energy, essential fatty acids and facilitates the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E and K). It is however, important to be mindful of the type of fat included in our diet. Too much saturated fat is associated with raised ‘bad’ cholesterol in the blood. Research suggests this is because excess saturated fat stops the LDL receptors on the cells of the liver from working properly, which can affect how much cholesterol is taken out of the blood and into the liver to be broken down. Nigella’s breakfast bars contain lots of healthy fats Saturated fat is frequently found in animal products such as butter, ghee, lard, meat and dairy products such as full-fat cheese, milk and yoghurt. Cakes, biscuits and pastries (which use these ingredients) can also be high in saturated fat. This is not to say these are bad foods and should be completely avoided, but moderation is key and we should try to eat less of these in our diet to help lower cholesterol. The UK government recommends men and women should consume no more than 30g and 20g of saturated fat a day, respectively and reading food labels when shopping can help determine if food is high or low in saturated fat. There’s good evidence that swapping saturated fats with some unsaturated fats can help to maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Unsaturated fats include avocado, olive oil, rapeseed oil, oily fish (like mackerel, salmon and sardines), soya beans or soy products, unsalted nuts (such as almonds, Brazil nuts, walnuts and peanuts) and seeds (such as flaxseeds and sunflower seeds). Opt for foods high in fibre There are two main types of fibre in our diet: soluble and non-soluble which are both important for cholesterol management. Soluble fibre dissolves in water to form a gel-like substance, and is found in fruits, vegetables, oats, barley and pulses like chickpeas. Insoluble fibre is left intact as it moves through the digestive system. It’s found in nuts, seeds, wheat bran and fruits and vegetables with skins and pips. Oats and barley contain a special type of soluble fibre called beta glucan, which has been shown to lower cholesterol levels by forming a gel in the gut which can bind with cholesterol-rich bile acids that stops them being absorbed in the body. It’s suggested that adding three grams of beta-glucan a day can help to lower cholesterol levels. You can get this by eating three servings of beta-glucan rich foods including: A bowl of porridge (using 30g porridge oats) or one serving of oat-based breakfast cereal flakes (30-35g)One oat biscuit75g cooked pearl barley that can be added to stews, soups, salads or risottos A bowl of porridge (using 30g porridge oats) or one serving of oat-based breakfast cereal flakes (30-35g) A bowl of porridge (using 30g porridge oats) or one serving of oat-based breakfast cereal flakes (30-35g) One oat biscuit One oat biscuit 75g cooked pearl barley that can be added to stews, soups, salads or risottos 75g cooked pearl barley that can be added to stews, soups, salads or risottos Although soluble fibre is considered to have a greater impact in lowering cholesterol compared to insoluble fibre, it’s best to have a variety of fibre-containing foods as most of us are not meeting the recommended intake of 30g a day. Add plant stanols or sterol products Including foods with added plant stanols and sterols in your diet – such as fortified spreads and yoghurts has been shown to help lower cholesterol levels with people with high cholesterol. Studies have shown that eating foods enriched with 1.5 to 2.4g of plant sterols/stanols a day combined with a healthy, balanced diet can reduce LDL cholesterol levels by 7-10%. The British Dietitian Association explain: ‘You can achieve 2g per day of plant stanol and sterol by consuming one plant stanol or sterol fortified mini yoghurt drink (one bottle) or yoghurt (one pot) per day which contains all the 2g recommended or, two to three portions of foods with at least 0.8g of added plant sterol/stanol per day such as: Two teaspoons (10g) fortified spread, one fortified yoghurt, one glass (250ml) fortified milk.’ However, the spreads should not be used for frying or sautéing as doing so can reduce the sterol/stanol content. These products are not a substitute for a healthy diet nor a replacement for cholesterol-lowering medication. And if you don’t have high cholesterol, these products are not recommended. Can food containing cholesterol increase cholesterol levels? Some foods naturally contain cholesterol such as eggs, some shellfish (like prawns and crab) and offal such as liver, but it’s not the cholesterol in them that significantly increases our cholesterol levels. Most people can enjoy these foods as part of a healthy, balanced diet. But how these ingredients are cooked matters – deep-frying foods with certain oils (such as coconut oil) and eating them alongside foods high in saturated fat (such as bacon and sausages) can increase your saturated fat intake. One myth that’s been debunked is that eggs will increase your cholesterol. Just choose a cooking method – such as poaching them – which doesn’t add saturated fats Beyond the diet Rather than embarking on a restrictive diet, it’s far more important to look at your current diet and make subtle, healthier swaps or additions that are appropriate and realistic, rather than completely changing your diet. This can look like having a side salad with every main dish for extra fibre intake, swapping crisps for a small portion of unsalted walnuts, or simply swapping coconut oil with olive oil or rapeseed in cooking. Also, it’s just as important to focus on other aspects of lifestyle to improve cholesterol levels such as being physically active, reducing alcohol intake and stopping smoking. Some people may need to take a medication to lower their cholesterol levels as advised by their doctor but will still need to ensure their overall diet is healthy and balanced to support treatment and lower the risk of heart-related conditions. Disclaimer: This article is intended for information only and it is not a substitute for proper medical diagnosis or dietary advice given by your doctor or dietitian, respectively. Originally published October 2024	{ "data_info": { "lang": "en-GB", "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/lower_cholesterol_through_diet", "type": "HowTo", "processing_date": "2025-09-05T00:00:00", "delivery_version": "v1.0", "title": "How to lower cholesterol through diet", "content": "High cholesterol is a common health concern, but how can changing your diet help to bring it down? By Tai Ibitoye https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jw53jw.jpg Results from an NHS Health Survey revealed 59% of people living in England have high cholesterol levels, with many unaware that they have it. High cholesterol typically presents no symptoms, but does increase the risk of developing serious health problems if left unmanaged. What is cholesterol? Cholesterol is a natural fatty substance produced in the liver, it can also be found in some of the foods we eat. We all need some cholesterol in our bodies to maintain healthy cells and to contribute to the making of certain hormones and vitamin D which is vital for bone, teeth and muscle health. In addition to this, cholesterol is used to make bile, a digestive fluid, which helps to absorb dietary fat. Cholesterol travels through the blood on proteins called lipoproteins. The main two types are high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, often known as the ‘good’ cholesterol and non-high-density lipoprotein (non-HDL), often known as the ‘bad’ cholesterol, which includes LDL. Too much non-HDL can lead to a build-up of fatty deposits inside the walls of blood vessels, which carry blood throughout the body, causing them to become narrowed or blocked. This can increase the risk of health problems such as heart disease and stroke. Could a mix of veg and fibre-rich dishes like this spiced roasted cauliflower with lentils and tahini yoghurt recipe help lower your cholesterol levels? How to lower cholesterol Making small changes to your diet can make a significant difference to cholesterol levels and overall heart health. Choose fat sources wisely A common misconception is that by eliminating all fats from your diet you’ll lower your cholesterol level. However, we all need fats and a small amount can form part of a healthy balanced diet. It can help provide us with energy, essential fatty acids and facilitates the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E and K). It is however, important to be mindful of the type of fat included in our diet. Too much saturated fat is associated with raised ‘bad’ cholesterol in the blood. Research suggests this is because excess saturated fat stops the LDL receptors on the cells of the liver from working properly, which can affect how much cholesterol is taken out of the blood and into the liver to be broken down. Nigella’s breakfast bars contain lots of healthy fats Saturated fat is frequently found in animal products such as butter, ghee, lard, meat and dairy products such as full-fat cheese, milk and yoghurt. Cakes, biscuits and pastries (which use these ingredients) can also be high in saturated fat. This is not to say these are bad foods and should be completely avoided, but moderation is key and we should try to eat less of these in our diet to help lower cholesterol. The UK government recommends men and women should consume no more than 30g and 20g of saturated fat a day, respectively and reading food labels when shopping can help determine if food is high or low in saturated fat. There’s good evidence that swapping saturated fats with some unsaturated fats can help to maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Unsaturated fats include avocado, olive oil, rapeseed oil, oily fish (like mackerel, salmon and sardines), soya beans or soy products, unsalted nuts (such as almonds, Brazil nuts, walnuts and peanuts) and seeds (such as flaxseeds and sunflower seeds). Opt for foods high in fibre There are two main types of fibre in our diet: soluble and non-soluble which are both important for cholesterol management. Soluble fibre dissolves in water to form a gel-like substance, and is found in fruits, vegetables, oats, barley and pulses like chickpeas. Insoluble fibre is left intact as it moves through the digestive system. It’s found in nuts, seeds, wheat bran and fruits and vegetables with skins and pips. Oats and barley contain a special type of soluble fibre called beta glucan, which has been shown to lower cholesterol levels by forming a gel in the gut which can bind with cholesterol-rich bile acids that stops them being absorbed in the body. It’s suggested that adding three grams of beta-glucan a day can help to lower cholesterol levels. You can get this by eating three servings of beta-glucan rich foods including: A bowl of porridge (using 30g porridge oats) or one serving of oat-based breakfast cereal flakes (30-35g)One oat biscuit75g cooked pearl barley that can be added to stews, soups, salads or risottos A bowl of porridge (using 30g porridge oats) or one serving of oat-based breakfast cereal flakes (30-35g) A bowl of porridge (using 30g porridge oats) or one serving of oat-based breakfast cereal flakes (30-35g) One oat biscuit One oat biscuit 75g cooked pearl barley that can be added to stews, soups, salads or risottos 75g cooked pearl barley that can be added to stews, soups, salads or risottos Although soluble fibre is considered to have a greater impact in lowering cholesterol compared to insoluble fibre, it’s best to have a variety of fibre-containing foods as most of us are not meeting the recommended intake of 30g a day. Add plant stanols or sterol products Including foods with added plant stanols and sterols in your diet – such as fortified spreads and yoghurts has been shown to help lower cholesterol levels with people with high cholesterol. Studies have shown that eating foods enriched with 1.5 to 2.4g of plant sterols/stanols a day combined with a healthy, balanced diet can reduce LDL cholesterol levels by 7-10%. The British Dietitian Association explain: ‘You can achieve 2g per day of plant stanol and sterol by consuming one plant stanol or sterol fortified mini yoghurt drink (one bottle) or yoghurt (one pot) per day which contains all the 2g recommended or, two to three portions of foods with at least 0.8g of added plant sterol/stanol per day such as: Two teaspoons (10g) fortified spread, one fortified yoghurt, one glass (250ml) fortified milk.’ However, the spreads should not be used for frying or sautéing as doing so can reduce the sterol/stanol content. These products are not a substitute for a healthy diet nor a replacement for cholesterol-lowering medication. And if you don’t have high cholesterol, these products are not recommended. Can food containing cholesterol increase cholesterol levels? Some foods naturally contain cholesterol such as eggs, some shellfish (like prawns and crab) and offal such as liver, but it’s not the cholesterol in them that significantly increases our cholesterol levels. Most people can enjoy these foods as part of a healthy, balanced diet. But how these ingredients are cooked matters – deep-frying foods with certain oils (such as coconut oil) and eating them alongside foods high in saturated fat (such as bacon and sausages) can increase your saturated fat intake. One myth that’s been debunked is that eggs will increase your cholesterol. Just choose a cooking method – such as poaching them – which doesn’t add saturated fats Beyond the diet Rather than embarking on a restrictive diet, it’s far more important to look at your current diet and make subtle, healthier swaps or additions that are appropriate and realistic, rather than completely changing your diet. This can look like having a side salad with every main dish for extra fibre intake, swapping crisps for a small portion of unsalted walnuts, or simply swapping coconut oil with olive oil or rapeseed in cooking. Also, it’s just as important to focus on other aspects of lifestyle to improve cholesterol levels such as being physically active, reducing alcohol intake and stopping smoking. Some people may need to take a medication to lower their cholesterol levels as advised by their doctor but will still need to ensure their overall diet is healthy and balanced to support treatment and lower the risk of heart-related conditions. Disclaimer: This article is intended for information only and it is not a substitute for proper medical diagnosis or dietary advice given by your doctor or dietitian, respectively. Originally published October 2024" }, "content_info": { "domain": "Food & Cooking", "subdomain": "Recipes" } }
{ "$oid": "68bace86eb3bdbfd0cc00259" }	c49937af981c9b2fcefa1729b1d4a03b0ace02ac8f82f3ff14efa4f606a1d662	Only true chocoholics can complete this tricky quiz! A whopping 95 percent of UK adults eat chocolate but how much do you actually know about the universally loved sweet treat? Has all this talk of chocolate got you in the mood for, well, chocolate? You’re in the right place. We have every chocolatey recipe imaginable – from the best chocolate cakes, to brownies, biscuits, desserts and truffles. Need help deciding? We don’t blame you – that quiz was enough decision making for one day. Here are some of our all-time favourite chocolate recipes to satisfy those cravings. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0bvg2hr.jpg If you’re going to make chocolate cookies, you may as well use two types of chocolate. Our easy recipe for double chocolate cookies is foolproof – follow the step-by-step guide and expect chewy-in-the-middle cookies with melty chocolate chunks. We have plenty of other chocolate cookie recipes to try. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0bvg316.jpg Our easiest-ever chocolate brownies are fudgy, dark and chocolatey. Serve these brownies warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and you'll understand what happiness is. Try more of our best brownie recipes. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0bvg3nt.jpg We can’t talk chocolate without Nigella. Her dark and sumptuous chocolate cake is rich, covered in a silky chocolate ganache, and, unbelievably, vegan. The rose petals and pistachios make it dinner party dessert-worthy, but it’s just as good for elevenses with a cup of coffee. Deep-dive into the best chocolate cakes. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0bvg45t.jpg Donal Skehan’s chocolate lava cake is a clever way to remove the stress from making a chocolate fondant, with equally good results. The pudding is cooked until crisp on the outside, but still gloriously gooey inside. Donal makes an instant banana and peanut butter ice cream to have alongside – well, it’d be rude not to. Enjoy more of our best chocolate desserts. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0bvg4jx.jpg One of our favourite flavour pairings – chocolate and orange – is taken to new heights with this easy chocolate and orange cheesecake. The filling is made extra orangey with a mix of marmalade and orange zest, then baked for a light-as-air texture. Love the chocolate and fruit combo? Try our chocolate bakes with fruit. Originally published March 2021	{ "data_info": { "lang": "en-GB", "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/chocolate_quiz", "type": "HowTo", "processing_date": "2025-09-05T00:00:00", "delivery_version": "v1.0", "title": "Only true chocoholics can complete this tricky quiz!", "content": "A whopping 95 percent of UK adults eat chocolate but how much do you actually know about the universally loved sweet treat? Has all this talk of chocolate got you in the mood for, well, chocolate? You’re in the right place. We have every chocolatey recipe imaginable – from the best chocolate cakes, to brownies, biscuits, desserts and truffles. Need help deciding? We don’t blame you – that quiz was enough decision making for one day. Here are some of our all-time favourite chocolate recipes to satisfy those cravings. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0bvg2hr.jpg If you’re going to make chocolate cookies, you may as well use two types of chocolate. Our easy recipe for double chocolate cookies is foolproof – follow the step-by-step guide and expect chewy-in-the-middle cookies with melty chocolate chunks. We have plenty of other chocolate cookie recipes to try. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0bvg316.jpg Our easiest-ever chocolate brownies are fudgy, dark and chocolatey. Serve these brownies warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and you'll understand what happiness is. Try more of our best brownie recipes. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0bvg3nt.jpg We can’t talk chocolate without Nigella. Her dark and sumptuous chocolate cake is rich, covered in a silky chocolate ganache, and, unbelievably, vegan. The rose petals and pistachios make it dinner party dessert-worthy, but it’s just as good for elevenses with a cup of coffee. Deep-dive into the best chocolate cakes. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0bvg45t.jpg Donal Skehan’s chocolate lava cake is a clever way to remove the stress from making a chocolate fondant, with equally good results. The pudding is cooked until crisp on the outside, but still gloriously gooey inside. Donal makes an instant banana and peanut butter ice cream to have alongside – well, it’d be rude not to. Enjoy more of our best chocolate desserts. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0bvg4jx.jpg One of our favourite flavour pairings – chocolate and orange – is taken to new heights with this easy chocolate and orange cheesecake. The filling is made extra orangey with a mix of marmalade and orange zest, then baked for a light-as-air texture. Love the chocolate and fruit combo? Try our chocolate bakes with fruit. Originally published March 2021" }, "content_info": { "domain": "Food & Cooking", "subdomain": "Recipes" } }
{ "$oid": "68bace86eb3bdbfd0cc0025a" }	fb6345b989c5f0a61b5792880d1e6407c765b18ff9b02af1cf79a72b1adfb439	Your stories of the worst Halloween treats https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p09zhlx6.jpg If you’re the kind of person who loves being the number one trick-or-treat stop on the block, we have some essential dos and don'ts to keep the neighbourhood kids from running screaming from your door. Who better to ask than kids and parents themselves? BBC Food and Bitesize teamed up to ask kids and parents alike the best, worst and just plain confusing treats they’ve received on Halloween. Be warned – you might find some of the responses quite shocking. Are vegetables acceptable? https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p09zhq82.jpg Yes, really. We couldn't believe it either, but multiple people said they’d received a variety of vegetables on the doorstep. “My son was offered a potato as they’d ran out of sweets,” said Helen Allen. “He took them up on their offer.” You’d be forgiven for thinking this might be an isolated incident, but no. More reports of veg-based "treats" have come to light. “I remember being given a can of beans once as a child!” said Emily Farnsworth. And perhaps worst of all, two individual cases of chocolate-covered Brussels sprouts, according to both Sarah Webb and Reecey Roo – a sneaky Halloween trick that can only have been premeditated. The key question here is, if you’re caught short with no treats to hand out, what do you do? Is it better to hand out a potato or nothing at all? Well, we think we have a few better options. Simple treats at home A UK poll from 2018 reckons 30 percent of people prefer to make treats rather than buy them from the shops. If you haven’t bought in your customary treats, a bit of home baking can really dig you out of a hole. Our advice is, keep it simple and sturdy to carry around in a bouncing Halloween loot bag. Chocolate is universally popular and it fits the Halloween colour palette! These rice krispie cakes only need a few ingredients, and you can have them chilling in the fridge in half an hour. Likewise, chocolate muffins are an easy win. Keep in the spooky fun with a Halloween biscuit and scary cookies. If you want to go for full-on confectionary, we have some surprisingly simple homemade sweets recipes. A word on safety It’s especially important to stay on top of health and cleanliness, so make sure your treats are well-wrapped if you can. “I think it’s gross when people give out sweets without a wrapper on!” says Toni Leeson. Baking paper and cling film both work well in a pinch, or you could get individual little bags if you really want to impress. It's a good idea to make a nut-free snack, as a precaution. Always be really clear with parents about what's in your homemade treats. Labels on individually wrapped treats can be reassuring. And some parents might not be happy for their child to take a homemade treat, so maybe keep a bowl of potatoes on hand after all. The great raisin debate An age old question for those looking to hand out healthy treats – is it acceptable to hand out boxes of raisins on Halloween? We put the question to the social media followers of BBC Food and BBC Bitesize and the results were pretty emphatic. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p09z2h70.jpg Raisins are out, chocolate and sweets are in! Halloween is one of a few days in the year when the gloves are off and we eat sweets until we feel a little bit queasy. There’s another 300-something days when we can eat raisins. This rule goes for other fruit-based treats like apples and oranges too. Hats off to Sally Thornhill for owning up to giving out satsumas one year. “I drew pumpkin faces on them and everything,” she says. “Sorry to everyone who visited that year.” We'd have eaten one, Sally. That doesn’t mean healthy treats are completely out of the window if they don't look too healthy. Justine Pattison's healthy flapjacks, for example, have a boost of oats, dried fruit and less sugar than most sweets. Likewise these banana and chocolate muffins have the best of both worlds: fruit and chocolate. If you forget, or run out of sweets… There’s always time to come up with an outside the box idea! Treats are just one half of the trick-or-treat equation after all – perhaps it’s time to dust off your top hat and tails for some magic tricks. Or distract the trick-or-treaters with a family pet. “We did run out of treats and offered cuddles with our guinea pigs instead,” said Laura Horton. “All the visiting trick or treaters loved it!" If all else fails, don’t panic. Your odd gift might turn out to be the best gift ever, or a funny story for years to come. "Kids got an Easter egg to share one year," says Gina Appleton. "They still talk about it being the best sweet ever!" BBC Food and BBC Bitesize users unveiled Halloween treats including old mince pies, tubes of toothpaste, cheesy crisps, dog biscuits and curry sauce, as well as the aforementioned potatoes and tins of beans. Needless to say, we don’t recommend handing out random bits of old food and dog biscuits to trick-or-treaters. The toothpaste was handed out by local dentists on both occasions so that’s understandable, but needless to say, you don’t have to accept anything you don’t feel comfortable with. The most important thing is to stay safe, and if it comes to it, you can always go home and whip up your own spooky Halloween treats! Originally published October 2021	{ "data_info": { "lang": "en-GB", "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/worst_halloween_treats", "type": "HowTo", "processing_date": "2025-09-05T00:00:00", "delivery_version": "v1.0", "title": "Your stories of the worst Halloween treats", "content": "https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p09zhlx6.jpg If you’re the kind of person who loves being the number one trick-or-treat stop on the block, we have some essential dos and don'ts to keep the neighbourhood kids from running screaming from your door. Who better to ask than kids and parents themselves? BBC Food and Bitesize teamed up to ask kids and parents alike the best, worst and just plain confusing treats they’ve received on Halloween. Be warned – you might find some of the responses quite shocking. Are vegetables acceptable? https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p09zhq82.jpg Yes, really. We couldn't believe it either, but multiple people said they’d received a variety of vegetables on the doorstep. “My son was offered a potato as they’d ran out of sweets,” said Helen Allen. “He took them up on their offer.” You’d be forgiven for thinking this might be an isolated incident, but no. More reports of veg-based \"treats\" have come to light. “I remember being given a can of beans once as a child!” said Emily Farnsworth. And perhaps worst of all, two individual cases of chocolate-covered Brussels sprouts, according to both Sarah Webb and Reecey Roo – a sneaky Halloween trick that can only have been premeditated. The key question here is, if you’re caught short with no treats to hand out, what do you do? Is it better to hand out a potato or nothing at all? Well, we think we have a few better options. Simple treats at home A UK poll from 2018 reckons 30 percent of people prefer to make treats rather than buy them from the shops. If you haven’t bought in your customary treats, a bit of home baking can really dig you out of a hole. Our advice is, keep it simple and sturdy to carry around in a bouncing Halloween loot bag. Chocolate is universally popular and it fits the Halloween colour palette! These rice krispie cakes only need a few ingredients, and you can have them chilling in the fridge in half an hour. Likewise, chocolate muffins are an easy win. Keep in the spooky fun with a Halloween biscuit and scary cookies. If you want to go for full-on confectionary, we have some surprisingly simple homemade sweets recipes. A word on safety It’s especially important to stay on top of health and cleanliness, so make sure your treats are well-wrapped if you can. “I think it’s gross when people give out sweets without a wrapper on!” says Toni Leeson. Baking paper and cling film both work well in a pinch, or you could get individual little bags if you really want to impress. It's a good idea to make a nut-free snack, as a precaution. Always be really clear with parents about what's in your homemade treats. Labels on individually wrapped treats can be reassuring. And some parents might not be happy for their child to take a homemade treat, so maybe keep a bowl of potatoes on hand after all. The great raisin debate An age old question for those looking to hand out healthy treats – is it acceptable to hand out boxes of raisins on Halloween? We put the question to the social media followers of BBC Food and BBC Bitesize and the results were pretty emphatic. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p09z2h70.jpg Raisins are out, chocolate and sweets are in! Halloween is one of a few days in the year when the gloves are off and we eat sweets until we feel a little bit queasy. There’s another 300-something days when we can eat raisins. This rule goes for other fruit-based treats like apples and oranges too. Hats off to Sally Thornhill for owning up to giving out satsumas one year. “I drew pumpkin faces on them and everything,” she says. “Sorry to everyone who visited that year.” We'd have eaten one, Sally. That doesn’t mean healthy treats are completely out of the window if they don't look too healthy. Justine Pattison's healthy flapjacks, for example, have a boost of oats, dried fruit and less sugar than most sweets. Likewise these banana and chocolate muffins have the best of both worlds: fruit and chocolate. If you forget, or run out of sweets… There’s always time to come up with an outside the box idea! Treats are just one half of the trick-or-treat equation after all – perhaps it’s time to dust off your top hat and tails for some magic tricks. Or distract the trick-or-treaters with a family pet. “We did run out of treats and offered cuddles with our guinea pigs instead,” said Laura Horton. “All the visiting trick or treaters loved it!\" If all else fails, don’t panic. Your odd gift might turn out to be the best gift ever, or a funny story for years to come. \"Kids got an Easter egg to share one year,\" says Gina Appleton. \"They still talk about it being the best sweet ever!\" BBC Food and BBC Bitesize users unveiled Halloween treats including old mince pies, tubes of toothpaste, cheesy crisps, dog biscuits and curry sauce, as well as the aforementioned potatoes and tins of beans. Needless to say, we don’t recommend handing out random bits of old food and dog biscuits to trick-or-treaters. The toothpaste was handed out by local dentists on both occasions so that’s understandable, but needless to say, you don’t have to accept anything you don’t feel comfortable with. The most important thing is to stay safe, and if it comes to it, you can always go home and whip up your own spooky Halloween treats! Originally published October 2021" }, "content_info": { "domain": "Food & Cooking", "subdomain": "Recipes" } }
{ "$oid": "68bace86eb3bdbfd0cc0025b" }	125ec77f505e919ff919527249be2aeecbf9edc73e760d334fd5854b811f154f	Can you improve perimenopause and menopause symptoms through your diet? There are 13 million people in the UK living with it, and symptoms are often debilitating – but could tweaking your diet help? By Lauren Potts https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0ggz9n5.jpg It affects half the global population at some point in their lives (typically between the ages of 45 and 55), yet many symptoms of both the perimenopause and menopause are difficult to manage. Perhaps the most common effects are those dreaded hot flushes, night sweats and brain fog – but each person’s experience is unique and the impact it has on individuals can hugely differ. It’s estimated that about 13 million people – roughly a third of the female UK population – is either perimenopausal or menopausal, and potentially experiencing a range of physical and psychological symptoms that can last several years. Though the major menopause indicator is that monthly periods stop due to declining levels of oestrogen, there are 34 recognised symptoms from poor sleep, anxiety and low mood to headaches, recurrent urinary tract infections, itchy skin and heart palpitations. For those who are perimenopausal, symptoms can be very similar. A reported 44% of women suffer with three or more severe symptoms according to a survey by the Fawcett Society, and 77% find at least one ‘very difficult’. It’s unlikely someone would experience every symptom – and they’re not constant, says Jenny Haskey, chief executive of The Menopause Charity – but knowing what they are can make managing menopause easier. “It’s really important we don’t scare women [when talking about the menopause] and the way to do that is to arm them with the information and knowledge they need in a way that doesn’t make them dread it, but makes them understand what’s happening and what they need to do to move forward and thrive,” she says. Customise your diet Dr Linia Patel, a registered dietitian and author of Food for Menopause explains that both perimenopausal and menopausal dietary advice is the same: “The fundamental principles of good health remain consistent: proper hydration, maintaining balanced blood glucose levels, following an anti-inflammatory diet, and nourishing your gut bacteria. However, individual variations come into play, especially as they relate to the specific symptoms you're experiencing. This is why it’s essential to track your symptoms and truly know yourself.” It’s worth thinking carefully about your symptoms and identifying any food or drink that could exacerbate them, suggests Haskey. That’s not to suggest you cut them out entirely, “but it’s about being mindful of how you respond when you eat or drink them and, if they are having an impact, reducing them.” For example, if poor sleep or heart palpitations are a factor, cutting back on caffeine might help, she suggests. If night sweats and hot flushes are an issue, it might be sensible to take spicy foods off the menu on most days. Patel, points out that excess alcohol can also make symptoms worse because the liver enzymes responsible for metabolising alcohol decrease during menopause. “Spoiler alert – alcohol and menopause are not the best of friends,” she says. “It can have an impact on symptoms from hot flushes to mood swings and can make weight loss and sleep harder.” Patel says there’s a common misconception that “carbs make you fat, inflamed and sluggish” during menopause but the key is choosing the “right ones and the right portions”. Symptoms like weight gain can in part be caused by eating too much sugar and too many refined carbohydrates, she explains. But fatigue, headaches, sugar cravings and irritability could actually be caused by a lack of complex carbs like wholegrains, beans and lentils. “They contain fibre and protein which means they are good for helping control your blood sugar levels.” Can specific foods ease symptoms? Complex carbs also contain phytoestrogens which, if eaten regularly and in sufficient quantities, can start to have oestrogen-like effects. Some evidence suggests that phytoestrogens – and in particular a type called isoflavones found in tofu, tempeh and soya milk – have a positive impact on menopause symptoms. One study found 85% of North American women suffered with hot flushes compared to only 25% of Japanese women – potentially because Eastern Asian diets are much higher in isoflavones than Western diets. This thinking is echoed in an analysis of previous research which found a link between isoflavones and decreased frequency and severity of hot flushes. Meanwhile, a separate study into a different phytoestrogen called lignans – found in flaxseed (also known as linseed) – suggested eating 40g a day could also alleviate hot flushes as well as vaginal dryness, another common menopause symptom. Nigella’s breakfast bars contain flaxseed along with berries and other seeds But although the results sound encouraging, the European Food Safety Authority concluded the current evidence is insufficient to make concrete health claims because some studies showed benefits while others did not. The British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) warned that more research is also needed to confirm the safety and effectiveness of herbal remedies marketed to help relieve menopausal symptoms such as red clover (a source of isoflavones), black cohosh, and St John’s wort. “Menopause has been heavily over-commercialised and there’s still a lot of misinformation and areas where people are profiting from potentially vulnerable women,” adds Haskey. The importance of following a heart healthy diet Unfortunately those who are menopausal are at higher risk of having raised cholesterol levels and cardiovascular disease. Patel explains: “It's well known that oestrogen helps protect heart health, but only recently have we begun to fully understand just how significant this protection is and what happens when it's lost during menopause. Oestrogen, particularly the type called E2, plays a key role in managing cholesterol levels. It helps lower the risk of fat buildup in the arteries, keeps blood vessels healthy, reduces oxidative stress, and prevents blood clotting. “As oestrogen levels drop during menopause, cholesterol levels tend to change—'bad' LDL cholesterol and triglycerides increase, while 'good' HDL cholesterol decreases. These changes can lead to fat accumulation in the arteries, forming atherosclerotic plaques and raising the risk of heart disease.” To help lower cholesterol, follow a heart-healthy diet says the expert:“This can include, increasing fibre intake (whole grains, pulses, fruits, vegetables), choosing healthy fats like extra virgin olive oil, cold pressed rapeseed oil and foods high in omega-3s (found in fish, flaxseeds, and walnuts), limiting saturated and trans fats (found in processed and fried foods) and including plant-based proteins (legumes, tofu).” Simple steps to boosting your diet Patel says you should regularly ask yourself these simple questions: How much water do I drink each day and when do I drink it?Which is my biggest meal of the day?Are my meals balanced?Do all of my meals and snacks have a source of protein?How many times a week do I have beans and lentils in my diet?How many snacks am I having per day and what am I snacking on?Is my plate loaded with veggies or fruit?How many different types of plants do I eat?How much alcohol do I drink a week? How much water do I drink each day and when do I drink it? Which is my biggest meal of the day? Are my meals balanced? Do all of my meals and snacks have a source of protein? How many times a week do I have beans and lentils in my diet? How many snacks am I having per day and what am I snacking on? Is my plate loaded with veggies or fruit? How many different types of plants do I eat? How much alcohol do I drink a week? The reason? The importance of eating a well-balanced diet – and avoiding dehydration – cannot be underestimated, say all the experts. During menopause, Haskey recommends eating a Mediterranean diet which typically includes fruits, vegetables, legumes and pulses, nuts, wholegrains, fish and unsaturated fats such as olive oil. It also calls for a moderate amount of dairy, which is regarded as important during and after the menopause when falling oestrogen levels can increase the risk of osteoporosis, explains Sara Stanner, BNF’s science director. Chickpeas are a great source of protein and are often cheap, too Holistic approach Haskey says it’s not solely about eating a balanced diet but also being adaptable and mindful, such as knowing your trigger foods and making sensible swaps when sugar cravings hit. And while some women might only want to manage symptoms through nutrition, she says it can be beneficial to consider other methods in combination with diet. “We do need to eat differently when we hit menopause – we need to be even more conscious about having that balanced diet and also coupling it with exercise. It’s about taking a holistic approach to manage everything.” There’s also no harm in thinking about making positive lifestyle changes before menopause even starts, adds Dr Patel. “It’s never too early to start preparing to eat well, make movement a habit, and learn to manage your stress. All these things will make the menopause journey easier.” “Understanding your own body is key. Be aware of what is ‘normal’ for you, so you can recognise any shifts or changes. Since no two journeys are alike, it's important to regularly assess how you’re feeling. Having an active role in your health is called self-management support. The more knowledge you have, the more you can get the specific support that you need. “I recommend making a symptom check-in part of your self-care routine. Take 10 minutes once a month, relax with a cup of tea, and reflect on any changes you’ve noticed in your body and wellbeing.” Originally published September 2023. Updated October 2024	{ "data_info": { "lang": "en-GB", "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/menopause_food", "type": "HowTo", "processing_date": "2025-09-05T00:00:00", "delivery_version": "v1.0", "title": "Can you improve perimenopause and menopause symptoms through your diet?", "content": "There are 13 million people in the UK living with it, and symptoms are often debilitating – but could tweaking your diet help? By Lauren Potts https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0ggz9n5.jpg It affects half the global population at some point in their lives (typically between the ages of 45 and 55), yet many symptoms of both the perimenopause and menopause are difficult to manage. Perhaps the most common effects are those dreaded hot flushes, night sweats and brain fog – but each person’s experience is unique and the impact it has on individuals can hugely differ. It’s estimated that about 13 million people – roughly a third of the female UK population – is either perimenopausal or menopausal, and potentially experiencing a range of physical and psychological symptoms that can last several years. Though the major menopause indicator is that monthly periods stop due to declining levels of oestrogen, there are 34 recognised symptoms from poor sleep, anxiety and low mood to headaches, recurrent urinary tract infections, itchy skin and heart palpitations. For those who are perimenopausal, symptoms can be very similar. A reported 44% of women suffer with three or more severe symptoms according to a survey by the Fawcett Society, and 77% find at least one ‘very difficult’. It’s unlikely someone would experience every symptom – and they’re not constant, says Jenny Haskey, chief executive of The Menopause Charity – but knowing what they are can make managing menopause easier. “It’s really important we don’t scare women [when talking about the menopause] and the way to do that is to arm them with the information and knowledge they need in a way that doesn’t make them dread it, but makes them understand what’s happening and what they need to do to move forward and thrive,” she says. Customise your diet Dr Linia Patel, a registered dietitian and author of Food for Menopause explains that both perimenopausal and menopausal dietary advice is the same: “The fundamental principles of good health remain consistent: proper hydration, maintaining balanced blood glucose levels, following an anti-inflammatory diet, and nourishing your gut bacteria. However, individual variations come into play, especially as they relate to the specific symptoms you're experiencing. This is why it’s essential to track your symptoms and truly know yourself.” It’s worth thinking carefully about your symptoms and identifying any food or drink that could exacerbate them, suggests Haskey. That’s not to suggest you cut them out entirely, “but it’s about being mindful of how you respond when you eat or drink them and, if they are having an impact, reducing them.” For example, if poor sleep or heart palpitations are a factor, cutting back on caffeine might help, she suggests. If night sweats and hot flushes are an issue, it might be sensible to take spicy foods off the menu on most days. Patel, points out that excess alcohol can also make symptoms worse because the liver enzymes responsible for metabolising alcohol decrease during menopause. “Spoiler alert – alcohol and menopause are not the best of friends,” she says. “It can have an impact on symptoms from hot flushes to mood swings and can make weight loss and sleep harder.” Patel says there’s a common misconception that “carbs make you fat, inflamed and sluggish” during menopause but the key is choosing the “right ones and the right portions”. Symptoms like weight gain can in part be caused by eating too much sugar and too many refined carbohydrates, she explains. But fatigue, headaches, sugar cravings and irritability could actually be caused by a lack of complex carbs like wholegrains, beans and lentils. “They contain fibre and protein which means they are good for helping control your blood sugar levels.” Can specific foods ease symptoms? Complex carbs also contain phytoestrogens which, if eaten regularly and in sufficient quantities, can start to have oestrogen-like effects. Some evidence suggests that phytoestrogens – and in particular a type called isoflavones found in tofu, tempeh and soya milk – have a positive impact on menopause symptoms. One study found 85% of North American women suffered with hot flushes compared to only 25% of Japanese women – potentially because Eastern Asian diets are much higher in isoflavones than Western diets. This thinking is echoed in an analysis of previous research which found a link between isoflavones and decreased frequency and severity of hot flushes. Meanwhile, a separate study into a different phytoestrogen called lignans – found in flaxseed (also known as linseed) – suggested eating 40g a day could also alleviate hot flushes as well as vaginal dryness, another common menopause symptom. Nigella’s breakfast bars contain flaxseed along with berries and other seeds But although the results sound encouraging, the European Food Safety Authority concluded the current evidence is insufficient to make concrete health claims because some studies showed benefits while others did not. The British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) warned that more research is also needed to confirm the safety and effectiveness of herbal remedies marketed to help relieve menopausal symptoms such as red clover (a source of isoflavones), black cohosh, and St John’s wort. “Menopause has been heavily over-commercialised and there’s still a lot of misinformation and areas where people are profiting from potentially vulnerable women,” adds Haskey. The importance of following a heart healthy diet Unfortunately those who are menopausal are at higher risk of having raised cholesterol levels and cardiovascular disease. Patel explains: “It's well known that oestrogen helps protect heart health, but only recently have we begun to fully understand just how significant this protection is and what happens when it's lost during menopause. Oestrogen, particularly the type called E2, plays a key role in managing cholesterol levels. It helps lower the risk of fat buildup in the arteries, keeps blood vessels healthy, reduces oxidative stress, and prevents blood clotting. “As oestrogen levels drop during menopause, cholesterol levels tend to change—'bad' LDL cholesterol and triglycerides increase, while 'good' HDL cholesterol decreases. These changes can lead to fat accumulation in the arteries, forming atherosclerotic plaques and raising the risk of heart disease.” To help lower cholesterol, follow a heart-healthy diet says the expert:“This can include, increasing fibre intake (whole grains, pulses, fruits, vegetables), choosing healthy fats like extra virgin olive oil, cold pressed rapeseed oil and foods high in omega-3s (found in fish, flaxseeds, and walnuts), limiting saturated and trans fats (found in processed and fried foods) and including plant-based proteins (legumes, tofu).” Simple steps to boosting your diet Patel says you should regularly ask yourself these simple questions: How much water do I drink each day and when do I drink it?Which is my biggest meal of the day?Are my meals balanced?Do all of my meals and snacks have a source of protein?How many times a week do I have beans and lentils in my diet?How many snacks am I having per day and what am I snacking on?Is my plate loaded with veggies or fruit?How many different types of plants do I eat?How much alcohol do I drink a week? How much water do I drink each day and when do I drink it? Which is my biggest meal of the day? Are my meals balanced? Do all of my meals and snacks have a source of protein? How many times a week do I have beans and lentils in my diet? How many snacks am I having per day and what am I snacking on? Is my plate loaded with veggies or fruit? How many different types of plants do I eat? How much alcohol do I drink a week? The reason? The importance of eating a well-balanced diet – and avoiding dehydration – cannot be underestimated, say all the experts. During menopause, Haskey recommends eating a Mediterranean diet which typically includes fruits, vegetables, legumes and pulses, nuts, wholegrains, fish and unsaturated fats such as olive oil. It also calls for a moderate amount of dairy, which is regarded as important during and after the menopause when falling oestrogen levels can increase the risk of osteoporosis, explains Sara Stanner, BNF’s science director. Chickpeas are a great source of protein and are often cheap, too Holistic approach Haskey says it’s not solely about eating a balanced diet but also being adaptable and mindful, such as knowing your trigger foods and making sensible swaps when sugar cravings hit. And while some women might only want to manage symptoms through nutrition, she says it can be beneficial to consider other methods in combination with diet. “We do need to eat differently when we hit menopause – we need to be even more conscious about having that balanced diet and also coupling it with exercise. It’s about taking a holistic approach to manage everything.” There’s also no harm in thinking about making positive lifestyle changes before menopause even starts, adds Dr Patel. “It’s never too early to start preparing to eat well, make movement a habit, and learn to manage your stress. All these things will make the menopause journey easier.” “Understanding your own body is key. Be aware of what is ‘normal’ for you, so you can recognise any shifts or changes. Since no two journeys are alike, it's important to regularly assess how you’re feeling. Having an active role in your health is called self-management support. The more knowledge you have, the more you can get the specific support that you need. “I recommend making a symptom check-in part of your self-care routine. Take 10 minutes once a month, relax with a cup of tea, and reflect on any changes you’ve noticed in your body and wellbeing.” Originally published September 2023. Updated October 2024" }, "content_info": { "domain": "Food & Cooking", "subdomain": "Recipes" } }
{ "$oid": "68bace87eb3bdbfd0cc0025c" }	0a3e6292f2887eb86f6d6ca82c7b2795fe48eef855eebee1b45fa29906ce50b6	Can food boost your serotonin levels? Most of us are aware that a healthy diet is good for our mental and physical health. But some research suggests certain foods may help boost levels of serotonin, known as the ‘feel-good’ chemical. Is this true? By Sue Quinn https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jv240x.jpg You might have heard of serotonin. It’s a chemical messenger – known as a neurotransmitter – that’s found in the gut, brain and other parts of the body. It plays a role in everything from our sleep quality and appetite to memory and learning. And, it’s also involved in our emotions and mood. “Serotonin has a protective effect to give us resilience and reduce stress,” explains David Nutt, Professor of Neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College London. “It’s hard to measure what levels are associated with positive mental health, and it’s likely to vary between individuals.” Low serotonin can, for some, be boosted by some antidepressant medications, Nutt says. Related stories How diet can affect your mental wellbeingCould cooking therapy help your mental health?Can changing your diet calm anxiety? How diet can affect your mental wellbeing Could cooking therapy help your mental health? Can changing your diet calm anxiety? He also believes certain foods can help protect against depression and stress because they contain tryptophan, a chemical that plays a crucial role in serotonin production. Tryptophan (sometimes referred to as l-tryptophan) is an essential amino acid – a building block of protein – that the body can’t make on its own and must be obtained through our diet. “Once digested, tryptophan is transported through the blood into the brain where it gets converted to serotonin,” Nutt says. In the UK, there is no recommended daily intake of tryptophan and for most people, only small amounts are necessary to stay healthy. There is research which suggests consuming tryptophan-rich foods alongside carbohydrates can boost the amount of tryptophan absorbed by the brain. So, what foods can you find it in? Tryptophan-rich foods Tryptophan is found in a wide variety of plant and animal foods that contain protein. Quinoa, soy, red meat, chicken, fish, eggs and cheese contain all nine of the essential amino acids the body can’t make, including tryptophan. This healthy berry banana smoothie comes with sunflower seeds and oats So, the big question: If you eat foods that are rich in tryptophan will you be able to help protect your mental health? There is research which highlights that people who have increased their intake of tryptophan-rich foods have reported fewer symptoms of depression and better mood. And likewise, some studies have shown people experiencing depression have low tryptophan levels. On top of this, some research also suggests people with low tryptophan may experience more panic and anxiety than those with normal levels. “We also know that low protein diets… can lead to low levels of tryptophan and puts a strain on the production of serotonin in the brain,” Nutt says. “Dietary restriction for just a few weeks can lead to changes in serotonin function in the brain consistent with lower serotonin production.” This evidence suggests that for some people, boosting their intake of tryptophan rich foods might protect against depression, Nutt says. However, tryptophan alone can’t lift depression, he stresses. “But it can help prevent it, especially in people with a vulnerability to depression.” Not all the tryptophan we consume enters the brain and is converted into serotonin. “So, the more tryptophan in the diet, the more likely any molecule is to get across the blood brain barrier and into the brain,” Nutt says. Likewise, consultant psychiatrist Dr Nick Walsh says boosting your intake of tryptophan-rich foods can’t improve mental wellbeing on its own but may do as part of a healthily balanced diet. That’s because serotonin production is highly complex and relies on a multitude of other nutrients including vitamins and minerals. “To increase your serotonin levels by making some changes that are consistent with a healthy, balanced diet is a good thing to do,” Dr Walsh says. “But on its own, it’s not sufficient.” He recommends consuming tryptophan-rich foods in their whole, unprocessed form, reducing your intake of refined sugar and looking after your gut health. It’s highly debated though… While serotonin is widely acknowledged to influence our mood and emotions, not all experts agree that low levels directly cause depression. In fact, UCL scientists have explained ‘there remains no clear evidence that serotonin levels or serotonin activity are responsible for depression’. Other scientists argue there’s no robust evidence that boosting our intake of foods rich in tryptophan can improve our mental health. Professor Allan Young, director for affective disorders at King’s College London, says for some people, tryptophan can work as an anti-depressant, but research has focussed on high-dose supplements, not food. “Studies have involved supplements at much higher doses than you would get from any dietary intake,” Young says. Professor Felice Jacka, director of the Food and Mood Centre, at Melbourne’s Deakin University is also sceptical. Tryptophan needs to be transported from the bloodstream into the brain by certain amino acids, she says. But it has to compete for this transport with other proteins in the food we eat, which restricts the amount that gets through. “Indeed, even a tiny amount of protein in foods is enough to prevent an increase in tryptophan and even high-carbohydrate foods typically still contain enough protein to have this effect,” she says. Microbes in the gut are thought to play a major role in how serotonin is processed, too. “But scientists aren’t clear,” Jacka says. “It’s very complex and a lot is unknown.” Ironically, it could be that high-carbohydrate foods – not those containing tryptophan – increase serotonin in the brain, Jacka says. The theory is that when we eat carbohydrates the body releases insulin, and excessive insulin causes tryptophan to move into the brain. This explains why it’s sometimes suggested to combine tryptophan-rich foods with carbohydrates. While it seems that science still needs to learn more about the impact of tryptophan-rich foods on mental health, Dr Walsh advises: “What is important is eating a balanced diet that supports the gut microbiome, and where you get a full range of nutrients.” If you or someone you know is concerned about your mental health, help and support is available. Originally published October 2024	{ "data_info": { "lang": "en-GB", "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/can_food_boost_serotonin_levels", "type": "HowTo", "processing_date": "2025-09-05T00:00:00", "delivery_version": "v1.0", "title": "Can food boost your serotonin levels?", "content": "Most of us are aware that a healthy diet is good for our mental and physical health. But some research suggests certain foods may help boost levels of serotonin, known as the ‘feel-good’ chemical. Is this true? By Sue Quinn https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jv240x.jpg You might have heard of serotonin. It’s a chemical messenger – known as a neurotransmitter – that’s found in the gut, brain and other parts of the body. It plays a role in everything from our sleep quality and appetite to memory and learning. And, it’s also involved in our emotions and mood. “Serotonin has a protective effect to give us resilience and reduce stress,” explains David Nutt, Professor of Neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College London. “It’s hard to measure what levels are associated with positive mental health, and it’s likely to vary between individuals.” Low serotonin can, for some, be boosted by some antidepressant medications, Nutt says. Related stories How diet can affect your mental wellbeingCould cooking therapy help your mental health?Can changing your diet calm anxiety? How diet can affect your mental wellbeing Could cooking therapy help your mental health? Can changing your diet calm anxiety? He also believes certain foods can help protect against depression and stress because they contain tryptophan, a chemical that plays a crucial role in serotonin production. Tryptophan (sometimes referred to as l-tryptophan) is an essential amino acid – a building block of protein – that the body can’t make on its own and must be obtained through our diet. “Once digested, tryptophan is transported through the blood into the brain where it gets converted to serotonin,” Nutt says. In the UK, there is no recommended daily intake of tryptophan and for most people, only small amounts are necessary to stay healthy. There is research which suggests consuming tryptophan-rich foods alongside carbohydrates can boost the amount of tryptophan absorbed by the brain. So, what foods can you find it in? Tryptophan-rich foods Tryptophan is found in a wide variety of plant and animal foods that contain protein. Quinoa, soy, red meat, chicken, fish, eggs and cheese contain all nine of the essential amino acids the body can’t make, including tryptophan. This healthy berry banana smoothie comes with sunflower seeds and oats So, the big question: If you eat foods that are rich in tryptophan will you be able to help protect your mental health? There is research which highlights that people who have increased their intake of tryptophan-rich foods have reported fewer symptoms of depression and better mood. And likewise, some studies have shown people experiencing depression have low tryptophan levels. On top of this, some research also suggests people with low tryptophan may experience more panic and anxiety than those with normal levels. “We also know that low protein diets… can lead to low levels of tryptophan and puts a strain on the production of serotonin in the brain,” Nutt says. “Dietary restriction for just a few weeks can lead to changes in serotonin function in the brain consistent with lower serotonin production.” This evidence suggests that for some people, boosting their intake of tryptophan rich foods might protect against depression, Nutt says. However, tryptophan alone can’t lift depression, he stresses. “But it can help prevent it, especially in people with a vulnerability to depression.” Not all the tryptophan we consume enters the brain and is converted into serotonin. “So, the more tryptophan in the diet, the more likely any molecule is to get across the blood brain barrier and into the brain,” Nutt says. Likewise, consultant psychiatrist Dr Nick Walsh says boosting your intake of tryptophan-rich foods can’t improve mental wellbeing on its own but may do as part of a healthily balanced diet. That’s because serotonin production is highly complex and relies on a multitude of other nutrients including vitamins and minerals. “To increase your serotonin levels by making some changes that are consistent with a healthy, balanced diet is a good thing to do,” Dr Walsh says. “But on its own, it’s not sufficient.” He recommends consuming tryptophan-rich foods in their whole, unprocessed form, reducing your intake of refined sugar and looking after your gut health. It’s highly debated though… While serotonin is widely acknowledged to influence our mood and emotions, not all experts agree that low levels directly cause depression. In fact, UCL scientists have explained ‘there remains no clear evidence that serotonin levels or serotonin activity are responsible for depression’. Other scientists argue there’s no robust evidence that boosting our intake of foods rich in tryptophan can improve our mental health. Professor Allan Young, director for affective disorders at King’s College London, says for some people, tryptophan can work as an anti-depressant, but research has focussed on high-dose supplements, not food. “Studies have involved supplements at much higher doses than you would get from any dietary intake,” Young says. Professor Felice Jacka, director of the Food and Mood Centre, at Melbourne’s Deakin University is also sceptical. Tryptophan needs to be transported from the bloodstream into the brain by certain amino acids, she says. But it has to compete for this transport with other proteins in the food we eat, which restricts the amount that gets through. “Indeed, even a tiny amount of protein in foods is enough to prevent an increase in tryptophan and even high-carbohydrate foods typically still contain enough protein to have this effect,” she says. Microbes in the gut are thought to play a major role in how serotonin is processed, too. “But scientists aren’t clear,” Jacka says. “It’s very complex and a lot is unknown.” Ironically, it could be that high-carbohydrate foods – not those containing tryptophan – increase serotonin in the brain, Jacka says. The theory is that when we eat carbohydrates the body releases insulin, and excessive insulin causes tryptophan to move into the brain. This explains why it’s sometimes suggested to combine tryptophan-rich foods with carbohydrates. While it seems that science still needs to learn more about the impact of tryptophan-rich foods on mental health, Dr Walsh advises: “What is important is eating a balanced diet that supports the gut microbiome, and where you get a full range of nutrients.” If you or someone you know is concerned about your mental health, help and support is available. Originally published October 2024" }, "content_info": { "domain": "Food & Cooking", "subdomain": "Recipes" } }
{ "$oid": "68bace87eb3bdbfd0cc0025d" }	5608e9edea3bd0268e6032dca87716eb56b448c074542626992ae7356013ec09	The Japanese ingredients set to transform your cooking From sushi and rice balls to ramen and fried chicken, Japanese food can be easy to make, and lots of the ingredients might already be in your cupboard. That’s because staples, including soy sauce, sesame oil and miso, are widely available, and some other everyday condiments such as tomato ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and curry powder are surprisingly popular in Japanese cooking. So what are the essentials and which dishes should you cook first? Udon, ramen, soba and somen noodles Noodles make up a huge part of everyday Japanese eating. They vary not only in shape and size, but also in the flour they’re made from, which can be anything from wheat or rice flour to buckwheat or even potato and sweet potato flour. You’re likely to come across four types of Japanese noodles. Ramen noodles are thin and wheat-based, usually slurped from a bowl of soup. Udon noodles are thicker, chewier wheat-based noodles, and served in soups, salads and stir-fries. Soba noodles are much more delicate as they’re made from buckwheat flour – they are great in soups and cold salads. Finally, there are thin, wheat-based somen noodles, which are also often eaten cold. Which soy sauce to buy Try to get your hands on a Japanese soy sauce (or ‘shoyu’). Shoyu can be light (‘usukuchi’), with a saltier flavour, or dark (‘koikuchi’), with a more rounded (though not necessarily stronger) flavour. A Japanese recipe calling for ‘soy sauce’ will usually mean dark, so a bottle of this or ‘all-purpose’ Japanese soy sauce (some of the most popular brands on British shelves are good all-rounders) is likely to be all you need. This is the opposite of Chinese recipes, where light soy sauce is for general purpose and dark is specified. While Chinese soy sauces are traditionally made from fermented soybeans, which gives them a sharp saltiness, Japanese soy sauces tend to be made from a blend of soybeans and wheat, and are fermented for longer, which gives them a more nuanced flavour. Shoyus that are fermented for a long time can develop all sorts of interesting flavour profiles. Tamari is another type of soy sauce you might see in recipes. Traditionally it was a by-product of making miso – as the soybeans ferment to make miso, they release a fermented liquid, which is tamari. It has a salty flavour, closest to Chinese light soy sauce. In the UK, tamari is often marketed as gluten-free soy sauce, and is usually 100 percent soybeans, though it’s always worth checking the label. If you need a replacement for tamari and gluten isn’t an issue for you, Chinese light soy sauce will do the job. Choosing miso There’s plenty to be written about different misos, but in essence, standard miso is a fermented soybean paste. It comes in various colours and flavours, from mellow white to punchy dark brown and red, but if a recipe just says ‘miso’, white miso is likely to be the best option. To make miso, soybeans are cooked, salted and mixed with a specific mould called aspergillus oryzae or ‘kōji’, then left to ferment for months or even years. The fermentation breaks down the basic elements of the soybean into a range of salty, earthy and umami (strong savoury) flavours. The colour difference comes from the length of the fermentation, but generally the darker the miso, the stronger the flavour and the longer the fermentation. Miso is almost always made from soybeans, but the kōji is often cultivated on rice or barley, which adds a different flavour to the mix. If you’re allergic to soy, you can find chickpea miso. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p09p7vxc.jpg Miso comes in a range of colours and flavours, and is great for adding umami to marinades, soups and sauces. Sesame oil: roasted or unroasted Rich, nutty sesame oil is delicious in marinades, sauces, salad dressings and more. A deeper colour typically means the seeds have been roasted before being pressed, which gives a richer sesame flavour but tends to burn at lower temperatures so it shouldn’t be used for cooking. Even light sesame oil can have a strong flavour, so use it sparingly. Short-grain Japanese rice Rice is the bedrock of Japanese cuisine, and with terms like ‘sushi rice’ and ‘sticky rice’ it can seem like there are lots of types. In reality, broadly speaking, only two are used – Japanese short-grain (‘uruchimai’) for most everyday cooking, and glutinous rice (‘mochigome’) for sweet dishes such as mochi. Unless you’re making sweet dishes, Japanese short-grain is all you need. It has a much higher starch content than long-grains like basmati and jasmine rice, and this gives the stickiness that characterises Japanese rice dishes. It’s important to wash excess starch from the rice and to cook it gently so it doesn’t get mushy. Sake versus mirin Sake and mirin are both Japanese rice wines, but they are fermented for different purposes. Sake tends to have a higher alcohol content and is brewed primarily for drinking, though is often called for in dishes. Mirin is sweeter, with much less alcohol, and is brewed for cooking. ‘Hon-mirin’ is the real deal, while ‘aji-mirin’ has sweetness added artificially. Rice vinegar Rice vinegar (or rice wine vinegar, they’re the same thing) is what you get when rice wine is converted into vinegar. It’s sweeter and more delicate than western wine vinegars. It brings a gentle tang and sweetness to Japanese dishes and salads, and is used to season sushi rice. Shichimi tōgarashi Often just referred to as ‘shichimi’, this spice blend is commonly used in soups and as a seasoning on rice and noodle dishes. ‘Shichi’ in Japanese is the number seven, which refers to the seven components that make up the spice mix – dried red pepper flakes, orange zest, black and white sesame seeds, ground ginger, seaweed and poppy seeds. Umeboshi Ume plums are picked in their thousands every summer and packed into barrels with salt, which extracts liquid from the ume. They are left to pickle in their own sour, salty juices (in a similar way to sauerkraut), then to dry and shrivel in the sun. The result is umeboshi – an intensely sour and salty pickled plum that is in a wide variety of traditional Japanese dishes. A small amount added to a dish (typically rice dishes) brings seasoning and depth of flavour. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p09p7w19.jpg A small amount of umeboshi (pickled plums) adds a tasty tang to rice dishes. Bonito flakes Bonito flakes are small shavings of dried, smoked tuna. To make them, fresh tuna is poached, then smoked, then fermented and left to dry and before being shaved into the flakes. Called ‘katsuobushi’ in Japanese, bonito flakes have a strong, smoky, umami flavour and underpin a lot of Japanese dishes. Bonito flakes and kombu are the main ingredients in dashi – a light stock used to make all sorts of Japanese dishes. Chef Shuko Oda mixes bonito flakes with soy sauce to make a filling for her onigiri rice balls. Kombu and nori ‘Kombu’ is dried, edible seaweed. It is used with bonito flakes to make dashi, and is often cooked and eaten afterwards. In Japan, you’ll find kombu pickled, braised, made into tea and even ground into seasoning powders. Kombu usually comes in large, dried sheets. Though we think of kelp and seaweed as being ‘seafood’, kombu doesn’t have a fish or seafood flavour. What it brings to Japanese dishes is a savoury depth of flavour. Nori is the paper-thin seaweed square that is wrapped around sushi rolls. It is made from a different type of algae from kombu, and processed in a different way – the fresh seaweed is shredded before being pressed into wafer-thin sheets and dried. It has a mild seawater saltiness and umami, nutty depth of flavour. There are endless nori snacks in Japan, and it’s often blended and combined with sesame, bonito flakes and other ingredients to make a savoury rice seasoning called ‘furikake’. Originally published July 2021	{ "data_info": { "lang": "en-GB", "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/japanese_ingredients", "type": "HowTo", "processing_date": "2025-09-05T00:00:00", "delivery_version": "v1.0", "title": "The Japanese ingredients set to transform your cooking", "content": "From sushi and rice balls to ramen and fried chicken, Japanese food can be easy to make, and lots of the ingredients might already be in your cupboard. That’s because staples, including soy sauce, sesame oil and miso, are widely available, and some other everyday condiments such as tomato ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and curry powder are surprisingly popular in Japanese cooking. So what are the essentials and which dishes should you cook first? Udon, ramen, soba and somen noodles Noodles make up a huge part of everyday Japanese eating. They vary not only in shape and size, but also in the flour they’re made from, which can be anything from wheat or rice flour to buckwheat or even potato and sweet potato flour. You’re likely to come across four types of Japanese noodles. Ramen noodles are thin and wheat-based, usually slurped from a bowl of soup. Udon noodles are thicker, chewier wheat-based noodles, and served in soups, salads and stir-fries. Soba noodles are much more delicate as they’re made from buckwheat flour – they are great in soups and cold salads. Finally, there are thin, wheat-based somen noodles, which are also often eaten cold. Which soy sauce to buy Try to get your hands on a Japanese soy sauce (or ‘shoyu’). Shoyu can be light (‘usukuchi’), with a saltier flavour, or dark (‘koikuchi’), with a more rounded (though not necessarily stronger) flavour. A Japanese recipe calling for ‘soy sauce’ will usually mean dark, so a bottle of this or ‘all-purpose’ Japanese soy sauce (some of the most popular brands on British shelves are good all-rounders) is likely to be all you need. This is the opposite of Chinese recipes, where light soy sauce is for general purpose and dark is specified. While Chinese soy sauces are traditionally made from fermented soybeans, which gives them a sharp saltiness, Japanese soy sauces tend to be made from a blend of soybeans and wheat, and are fermented for longer, which gives them a more nuanced flavour. Shoyus that are fermented for a long time can develop all sorts of interesting flavour profiles. Tamari is another type of soy sauce you might see in recipes. Traditionally it was a by-product of making miso – as the soybeans ferment to make miso, they release a fermented liquid, which is tamari. It has a salty flavour, closest to Chinese light soy sauce. In the UK, tamari is often marketed as gluten-free soy sauce, and is usually 100 percent soybeans, though it’s always worth checking the label. If you need a replacement for tamari and gluten isn’t an issue for you, Chinese light soy sauce will do the job. Choosing miso There’s plenty to be written about different misos, but in essence, standard miso is a fermented soybean paste. It comes in various colours and flavours, from mellow white to punchy dark brown and red, but if a recipe just says ‘miso’, white miso is likely to be the best option. To make miso, soybeans are cooked, salted and mixed with a specific mould called aspergillus oryzae or ‘kōji’, then left to ferment for months or even years. The fermentation breaks down the basic elements of the soybean into a range of salty, earthy and umami (strong savoury) flavours. The colour difference comes from the length of the fermentation, but generally the darker the miso, the stronger the flavour and the longer the fermentation. Miso is almost always made from soybeans, but the kōji is often cultivated on rice or barley, which adds a different flavour to the mix. If you’re allergic to soy, you can find chickpea miso. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p09p7vxc.jpg Miso comes in a range of colours and flavours, and is great for adding umami to marinades, soups and sauces. Sesame oil: roasted or unroasted Rich, nutty sesame oil is delicious in marinades, sauces, salad dressings and more. A deeper colour typically means the seeds have been roasted before being pressed, which gives a richer sesame flavour but tends to burn at lower temperatures so it shouldn’t be used for cooking. Even light sesame oil can have a strong flavour, so use it sparingly. Short-grain Japanese rice Rice is the bedrock of Japanese cuisine, and with terms like ‘sushi rice’ and ‘sticky rice’ it can seem like there are lots of types. In reality, broadly speaking, only two are used – Japanese short-grain (‘uruchimai’) for most everyday cooking, and glutinous rice (‘mochigome’) for sweet dishes such as mochi. Unless you’re making sweet dishes, Japanese short-grain is all you need. It has a much higher starch content than long-grains like basmati and jasmine rice, and this gives the stickiness that characterises Japanese rice dishes. It’s important to wash excess starch from the rice and to cook it gently so it doesn’t get mushy. Sake versus mirin Sake and mirin are both Japanese rice wines, but they are fermented for different purposes. Sake tends to have a higher alcohol content and is brewed primarily for drinking, though is often called for in dishes. Mirin is sweeter, with much less alcohol, and is brewed for cooking. ‘Hon-mirin’ is the real deal, while ‘aji-mirin’ has sweetness added artificially. Rice vinegar Rice vinegar (or rice wine vinegar, they’re the same thing) is what you get when rice wine is converted into vinegar. It’s sweeter and more delicate than western wine vinegars. It brings a gentle tang and sweetness to Japanese dishes and salads, and is used to season sushi rice. Shichimi tōgarashi Often just referred to as ‘shichimi’, this spice blend is commonly used in soups and as a seasoning on rice and noodle dishes. ‘Shichi’ in Japanese is the number seven, which refers to the seven components that make up the spice mix – dried red pepper flakes, orange zest, black and white sesame seeds, ground ginger, seaweed and poppy seeds. Umeboshi Ume plums are picked in their thousands every summer and packed into barrels with salt, which extracts liquid from the ume. They are left to pickle in their own sour, salty juices (in a similar way to sauerkraut), then to dry and shrivel in the sun. The result is umeboshi – an intensely sour and salty pickled plum that is in a wide variety of traditional Japanese dishes. A small amount added to a dish (typically rice dishes) brings seasoning and depth of flavour. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p09p7w19.jpg A small amount of umeboshi (pickled plums) adds a tasty tang to rice dishes. Bonito flakes Bonito flakes are small shavings of dried, smoked tuna. To make them, fresh tuna is poached, then smoked, then fermented and left to dry and before being shaved into the flakes. Called ‘katsuobushi’ in Japanese, bonito flakes have a strong, smoky, umami flavour and underpin a lot of Japanese dishes. Bonito flakes and kombu are the main ingredients in dashi – a light stock used to make all sorts of Japanese dishes. Chef Shuko Oda mixes bonito flakes with soy sauce to make a filling for her onigiri rice balls. Kombu and nori ‘Kombu’ is dried, edible seaweed. It is used with bonito flakes to make dashi, and is often cooked and eaten afterwards. In Japan, you’ll find kombu pickled, braised, made into tea and even ground into seasoning powders. Kombu usually comes in large, dried sheets. Though we think of kelp and seaweed as being ‘seafood’, kombu doesn’t have a fish or seafood flavour. What it brings to Japanese dishes is a savoury depth of flavour. Nori is the paper-thin seaweed square that is wrapped around sushi rolls. It is made from a different type of algae from kombu, and processed in a different way – the fresh seaweed is shredded before being pressed into wafer-thin sheets and dried. It has a mild seawater saltiness and umami, nutty depth of flavour. There are endless nori snacks in Japan, and it’s often blended and combined with sesame, bonito flakes and other ingredients to make a savoury rice seasoning called ‘furikake’. Originally published July 2021" }, "content_info": { "domain": "Food & Cooking", "subdomain": "Recipes" } }
{ "$oid": "68bace88eb3bdbfd0cc0025e" }	acb7752741f996f4b431d91845d1eaeed74e47d0846f8a1a27b35bb55c361bd1	Can you guess Rick Stein’s top UK cities for food? In his new series, Rick Stein travels around the UK sampling the best local food and produce. These are the five cities he’s particularly passionate about… https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jsnykv.jpg Rick Stein loves trying – and making – regional British food. Which explains why he was so keen to travel the length and breadth of the country tasting and creating popular local dishes for his new BBC Two series Rick Stein’s Food Stories. “I know the UK’s only a small country, but its food culture is big. There's so much history and so many different types of food,” he explains. While he’s known for his love of seafood, when Stein’s travelling around the country, we see him diving headfirst into all types of cuisine “I’m happy to try everything. People's excitement and enthusiasm [for food] really gets you interested in it and makes you look at food the way they are.” So which regions made Stein fall in love with food all over again? 1. London “This won’t come as much as a surprise and it’s obvious that I’d have to go for the biggest city, simply due to the variety of the food, so I’d certainly say London,” explains Stein. The diversity of dishes available in the capital is featured in episode five of Rick Stein’s Food Stories, where he makes everything from beef and shiitake chow mein to Dover sole à la meunière with potatoes. In the same episode he visits the surrounding county of Kent and we see an old favourite return to our screens. “Kent produces 90% of all cherries grown in England,” he says in the episode, predicting what’s to come… “The series looks at the nation’s favourite dishes and so it had to include Black Forest gateau. Back in the ’70s, it was the most popular cake and it’s just one of those dishes that was always going to become popular again. In the show we make a particularly showy-off version of it with cherries all over the place, but apart from anything else it’s a lovely cake. And just so big. You want a seriously over the top cake? Black Forest gateau is the one for you.” 2. Bristol “This is just such an exciting city at the moment,” starts Stein. “It's got a fantastic mixture of cultures in there and it's a university town, which makes a big difference. I think it's a forward-looking city.” In Rick Stein’s Food Stories, we see him visit the city and the community of St. Pauls where he explains how significant the Windrush generation was to the city, bringing about a festival that still runs to this day and includes delicious delicacies such as jerk chicken, which Stein tries and is enamoured with. In this episode we also we see him make salt cod potato cakes with lime and red chillies that are bursting with flavour and continue to highlight the diverse tastes on offer in the city. 3. Manchester “When I was in Manchester, I read a passage from Dickens' Hard Times published in 1854, which focuses on how ‘it was tough in them days…’ and it’s written about Manchester. It was known to be this tough city in the 19th century due to its industrial-like fervour. Now, it’s a post-industrial city with fantastic buildings and a really positive culture, with a really good food scene – the Northern Quarter is full of different trendy bars and restaurants.” It’s not just the city itself he’s enthusiastic about but the nearby towns. He visits Bury Market tasting black pudding and investigating tripe and cow heel at the same time. He’s inspired to make a traditional British dish – albeit one with a slightly fancy twist, liver and bacon with caramelised onions and Italian-style greens and after a visit to the Cheshire countryside finds himself making pot roast brisket with dumplings and colcannon. “I just love brisket,” he explains, before advising: “It needs slow cooking because it’s got a lot of extra tissue in it. That’s why a pot roast of brisket is great, because it's just so succulent when it's cooked. It’s my idea of a supremely comforting British dish.” 4. Leicester “People from India originally settled in Leicester due to there being work available in the garment industry,” explains Stein. While that was in the 1940s Stein explains that “Indian culture is still important to the city and has helped to create a strong food scene. “Now it's a very important food producing city and I just found the atmosphere there really impressive. There are some places in the UK now which are a bit depressed, but Leicester ain't one of them!” In episode three of the new series, he visits the region and as he’s tucking into a thali in the city, he comments, “that’s absolutely wonderful, I think it’s some of the best Indian food I’ve ever tasted,” given Stein’s many food travels around the world – including a series entirely devoted to cooking in India, that’s high-praise indeed. After the trip, he’s inspired to return to Padstow and make his own version of the well-loved cross-over dish chicken tikka masala, complete with chapatis. 5. Belfast “I always like visiting Belfast, and I just think it's a fabulous Victorian city with some great buildings in it. I really do look back at this trip to the city with great affection because we went to a pop-up restaurant in a shipping container in a demolished cinema. There, I had a Filipino Sunday lunch, which blew my mind. “I realised I’ve never eaten Filipino food before and doing so in Belfast meant a lot to me. Because it shows that you can go to parts of Britain now – let alone the world – and have food that you never tasted before, which is contributing to the local culture. “There was about 30 of us sitting at trestle tables, having Sunday lunch together – half the people were from Belfast, the other half were a Filipino family and their friends and it was just such a great, enthusiastic mingling, which meant a lot to me, really.” While he makes a variety of dishes in the episode, it’s a Philippine one – pork adobo with rice, that has left the biggest impression. “It was a revelation to me. Filipino food is so interesting and due to its history, there are Spanish influences too. Adobo has got lots of vinegar in it, which would have been picked up from the Spanish, the dish is fabulous. Watch BBC Two’s Rick Stein’s Food Stories weekly from Thursday 26 September at 7pm, or catch up on iPlayer. Originally published September 2024	{ "data_info": { "lang": "en-GB", "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/rick_stein_favourite_uk_food_cities", "type": "HowTo", "processing_date": "2025-09-05T00:00:00", "delivery_version": "v1.0", "title": "Can you guess Rick Stein’s top UK cities for food?", "content": "In his new series, Rick Stein travels around the UK sampling the best local food and produce. These are the five cities he’s particularly passionate about… https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jsnykv.jpg Rick Stein loves trying – and making – regional British food. Which explains why he was so keen to travel the length and breadth of the country tasting and creating popular local dishes for his new BBC Two series Rick Stein’s Food Stories. “I know the UK’s only a small country, but its food culture is big. There's so much history and so many different types of food,” he explains. While he’s known for his love of seafood, when Stein’s travelling around the country, we see him diving headfirst into all types of cuisine “I’m happy to try everything. People's excitement and enthusiasm [for food] really gets you interested in it and makes you look at food the way they are.” So which regions made Stein fall in love with food all over again? 1. London “This won’t come as much as a surprise and it’s obvious that I’d have to go for the biggest city, simply due to the variety of the food, so I’d certainly say London,” explains Stein. The diversity of dishes available in the capital is featured in episode five of Rick Stein’s Food Stories, where he makes everything from beef and shiitake chow mein to Dover sole à la meunière with potatoes. In the same episode he visits the surrounding county of Kent and we see an old favourite return to our screens. “Kent produces 90% of all cherries grown in England,” he says in the episode, predicting what’s to come… “The series looks at the nation’s favourite dishes and so it had to include Black Forest gateau. Back in the ’70s, it was the most popular cake and it’s just one of those dishes that was always going to become popular again. In the show we make a particularly showy-off version of it with cherries all over the place, but apart from anything else it’s a lovely cake. And just so big. You want a seriously over the top cake? Black Forest gateau is the one for you.” 2. Bristol “This is just such an exciting city at the moment,” starts Stein. “It's got a fantastic mixture of cultures in there and it's a university town, which makes a big difference. I think it's a forward-looking city.” In Rick Stein’s Food Stories, we see him visit the city and the community of St. Pauls where he explains how significant the Windrush generation was to the city, bringing about a festival that still runs to this day and includes delicious delicacies such as jerk chicken, which Stein tries and is enamoured with. In this episode we also we see him make salt cod potato cakes with lime and red chillies that are bursting with flavour and continue to highlight the diverse tastes on offer in the city. 3. Manchester “When I was in Manchester, I read a passage from Dickens' Hard Times published in 1854, which focuses on how ‘it was tough in them days…’ and it’s written about Manchester. It was known to be this tough city in the 19th century due to its industrial-like fervour. Now, it’s a post-industrial city with fantastic buildings and a really positive culture, with a really good food scene – the Northern Quarter is full of different trendy bars and restaurants.” It’s not just the city itself he’s enthusiastic about but the nearby towns. He visits Bury Market tasting black pudding and investigating tripe and cow heel at the same time. He’s inspired to make a traditional British dish – albeit one with a slightly fancy twist, liver and bacon with caramelised onions and Italian-style greens and after a visit to the Cheshire countryside finds himself making pot roast brisket with dumplings and colcannon. “I just love brisket,” he explains, before advising: “It needs slow cooking because it’s got a lot of extra tissue in it. That’s why a pot roast of brisket is great, because it's just so succulent when it's cooked. It’s my idea of a supremely comforting British dish.” 4. Leicester “People from India originally settled in Leicester due to there being work available in the garment industry,” explains Stein. While that was in the 1940s Stein explains that “Indian culture is still important to the city and has helped to create a strong food scene. “Now it's a very important food producing city and I just found the atmosphere there really impressive. There are some places in the UK now which are a bit depressed, but Leicester ain't one of them!” In episode three of the new series, he visits the region and as he’s tucking into a thali in the city, he comments, “that’s absolutely wonderful, I think it’s some of the best Indian food I’ve ever tasted,” given Stein’s many food travels around the world – including a series entirely devoted to cooking in India, that’s high-praise indeed. After the trip, he’s inspired to return to Padstow and make his own version of the well-loved cross-over dish chicken tikka masala, complete with chapatis. 5. Belfast “I always like visiting Belfast, and I just think it's a fabulous Victorian city with some great buildings in it. I really do look back at this trip to the city with great affection because we went to a pop-up restaurant in a shipping container in a demolished cinema. There, I had a Filipino Sunday lunch, which blew my mind. “I realised I’ve never eaten Filipino food before and doing so in Belfast meant a lot to me. Because it shows that you can go to parts of Britain now – let alone the world – and have food that you never tasted before, which is contributing to the local culture. “There was about 30 of us sitting at trestle tables, having Sunday lunch together – half the people were from Belfast, the other half were a Filipino family and their friends and it was just such a great, enthusiastic mingling, which meant a lot to me, really.” While he makes a variety of dishes in the episode, it’s a Philippine one – pork adobo with rice, that has left the biggest impression. “It was a revelation to me. Filipino food is so interesting and due to its history, there are Spanish influences too. Adobo has got lots of vinegar in it, which would have been picked up from the Spanish, the dish is fabulous. Watch BBC Two’s Rick Stein’s Food Stories weekly from Thursday 26 September at 7pm, or catch up on iPlayer. Originally published September 2024" }, "content_info": { "domain": "Food & Cooking", "subdomain": "Recipes" } }
{ "$oid": "68bace88eb3bdbfd0cc0025f" }	8d230f8ac648ebf4de4f60073c761f11171440f4eafa16649cead9194061a0ef	What's wrong with my cake? https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p073x8xb.jpg by Kimberley Wilson Have you ever meticulously followed a recipe, only for your cake to come out of the oven under-baked, burnt, flat-as-a-pancake, sunken or cracked? Baking is a scientific process and much can go wrong, but if you're armed with my tips and tricks you can make a perfect cake. Here are cake disasters we've all encountered… and how to avoid them. "Why does my cake taste like a brick?" If your cake is hard, the problem probably lies in the beating. The butter must be beaten well in the early stages to give the mixture enough air for a light and fluffy texture. To achieve this the butter must be lukewarm and therefore not too hard. Watch the video for Mary Berry's foolproof way of achieving the right temperature. Mary Berry has a foolproof way of softening butter. “Why is my cake as flat as a pancake?” If you end up with a flat cake, there are a few possible causes. Overbeating the flour will overwork its gluten, so fold in dry ingredients with a light hand. Remember to add the raising agent – self-raising flour already contains this, but if you use any other flour you need to mix in baking powder. If you add baking powder and still end up with a flat cake, check the best before date. Add eggs and other liquids to the mixture slowly to avoid curdling, which can cause heaviness and a flat cake. It is crucial to preheat the oven and to get your cake into it as soon as the dry and wet ingredients are mixed together. This means the raising agent will react with the mixture at the right time for a good, even rise. “Why does my cake always sink?” If your cake sinks, it could be a sign that you've been impatient. To avoid a sunken cake, you need to resist the urge to open the oven door a long time before the cake is cooked. The bubbles inside the cake are expanding in the oven's heat, creating maximum volume as the batter reaches its setting point. If the temperature suddenly falls the cake will fall in the centre – the last area to set. Only after at least three-quarters of the cooking time can you start to check if the cake is cooked. Even then, you need to make sure it is fully baked before removing it from the oven, otherwise the middle could dip. Some ovens have a massive variation between the temperature at the top and bottom. Bake your cake on the middle shelf, where the temperature is most likely to be consistent. “Why has my cake cracked on the top?” Too much baking powder can cause the cake to rise rapidly and crack. Always level off teaspoon measures of baking powder and bicarbonate of soda – a little extra can make a big difference. It's also important to use the cake tin size specified in the recipe. Too small a tin will mean the outside of your cake cooks faster than the inside, leading to a peak in the middle as the baking powder continues to work, cracking the top in the process. If your oven is too hot, the outside of your cake will bake much more quickly than the inside, leading to a peak or crack. The top of your cake may also get too dark. Oven thermostats can be wildly off, so if this often happens, invest in a separate oven thermometer. “I overbaked my cake and it’s really dry. What can I do with it?” You have four options: Bring moisture back to the cake with sugar syrup that permeates through the crumb.Cut the cake in half and fill it with cream.Use it for a trifle; the moisture in the other ingredients will seep through.Create cake pops by mixing the dry cake crumbs with cream cheese or melted dark chocolate. Coat in more melted chocolate and decorate. Bring moisture back to the cake with sugar syrup that permeates through the crumb. Cut the cake in half and fill it with cream. Use it for a trifle; the moisture in the other ingredients will seep through. Create cake pops by mixing the dry cake crumbs with cream cheese or melted dark chocolate. Coat in more melted chocolate and decorate. “Why is my cake raw and doughy inside?” Large fruit cakes or moist carrot cakes can appear cooked on the outside but may still be under-baked in the middle. A recipe should give the correct oven temperature and timings, so follow it closely. Check your cake is cooked on the inside before you take it out of the oven. For large, moist cakes, you can do this by inserting a skewer or strand of uncooked spaghetti in, to see whether any wet mixture is stuck to it when you pull it out. If your oven is too hot it will overcook the outside before the inside is done. If the baking time is longer than an hour, use foil to cover the cake when it is the colour you want, then continue baking until cooked through. Don’t be tempted to take the cake out of then oven just because it looks good. “How do I know when my cake is cooked?” When a cake is cooked through, it will start to shrink away from the sides of the tin, and when you press your finger into the top it will spring back. Mary Berry shows you what to look for in this video. Mary Berry shows you how to test if a cake is cooked. “How do I remove my cake from the cake tin?” When you remove a cake from the oven, leave it in its tin for 10 minutes. Next, run a palette knife around the outside of the cake to detach it from the tin. Put a clean, thick tea-towel over the tin and tip the cake out onto your hand. Pull the tin away and then remove the baking paper. Mary Berry shows you how in this video. Mary Berry shows you how to remove cakes from their tins. Originally published March 2019	{ "data_info": { "lang": "en-GB", "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/whats_wrong_with_my_cake", "type": "HowTo", "processing_date": "2025-09-05T00:00:00", "delivery_version": "v1.0", "title": "What's wrong with my cake?", "content": "https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p073x8xb.jpg by Kimberley Wilson Have you ever meticulously followed a recipe, only for your cake to come out of the oven under-baked, burnt, flat-as-a-pancake, sunken or cracked? Baking is a scientific process and much can go wrong, but if you're armed with my tips and tricks you can make a perfect cake. Here are cake disasters we've all encountered… and how to avoid them. \"Why does my cake taste like a brick?\" If your cake is hard, the problem probably lies in the beating. The butter must be beaten well in the early stages to give the mixture enough air for a light and fluffy texture. To achieve this the butter must be lukewarm and therefore not too hard. Watch the video for Mary Berry's foolproof way of achieving the right temperature. Mary Berry has a foolproof way of softening butter. “Why is my cake as flat as a pancake?” If you end up with a flat cake, there are a few possible causes. Overbeating the flour will overwork its gluten, so fold in dry ingredients with a light hand. Remember to add the raising agent – self-raising flour already contains this, but if you use any other flour you need to mix in baking powder. If you add baking powder and still end up with a flat cake, check the best before date. Add eggs and other liquids to the mixture slowly to avoid curdling, which can cause heaviness and a flat cake. It is crucial to preheat the oven and to get your cake into it as soon as the dry and wet ingredients are mixed together. This means the raising agent will react with the mixture at the right time for a good, even rise. “Why does my cake always sink?” If your cake sinks, it could be a sign that you've been impatient. To avoid a sunken cake, you need to resist the urge to open the oven door a long time before the cake is cooked. The bubbles inside the cake are expanding in the oven's heat, creating maximum volume as the batter reaches its setting point. If the temperature suddenly falls the cake will fall in the centre – the last area to set. Only after at least three-quarters of the cooking time can you start to check if the cake is cooked. Even then, you need to make sure it is fully baked before removing it from the oven, otherwise the middle could dip. Some ovens have a massive variation between the temperature at the top and bottom. Bake your cake on the middle shelf, where the temperature is most likely to be consistent. “Why has my cake cracked on the top?” Too much baking powder can cause the cake to rise rapidly and crack. Always level off teaspoon measures of baking powder and bicarbonate of soda – a little extra can make a big difference. It's also important to use the cake tin size specified in the recipe. Too small a tin will mean the outside of your cake cooks faster than the inside, leading to a peak in the middle as the baking powder continues to work, cracking the top in the process. If your oven is too hot, the outside of your cake will bake much more quickly than the inside, leading to a peak or crack. The top of your cake may also get too dark. Oven thermostats can be wildly off, so if this often happens, invest in a separate oven thermometer. “I overbaked my cake and it’s really dry. What can I do with it?” You have four options: Bring moisture back to the cake with sugar syrup that permeates through the crumb.Cut the cake in half and fill it with cream.Use it for a trifle; the moisture in the other ingredients will seep through.Create cake pops by mixing the dry cake crumbs with cream cheese or melted dark chocolate. Coat in more melted chocolate and decorate. Bring moisture back to the cake with sugar syrup that permeates through the crumb. Cut the cake in half and fill it with cream. Use it for a trifle; the moisture in the other ingredients will seep through. Create cake pops by mixing the dry cake crumbs with cream cheese or melted dark chocolate. Coat in more melted chocolate and decorate. “Why is my cake raw and doughy inside?” Large fruit cakes or moist carrot cakes can appear cooked on the outside but may still be under-baked in the middle. A recipe should give the correct oven temperature and timings, so follow it closely. Check your cake is cooked on the inside before you take it out of the oven. For large, moist cakes, you can do this by inserting a skewer or strand of uncooked spaghetti in, to see whether any wet mixture is stuck to it when you pull it out. If your oven is too hot it will overcook the outside before the inside is done. If the baking time is longer than an hour, use foil to cover the cake when it is the colour you want, then continue baking until cooked through. Don’t be tempted to take the cake out of then oven just because it looks good. “How do I know when my cake is cooked?” When a cake is cooked through, it will start to shrink away from the sides of the tin, and when you press your finger into the top it will spring back. Mary Berry shows you what to look for in this video. Mary Berry shows you how to test if a cake is cooked. “How do I remove my cake from the cake tin?” When you remove a cake from the oven, leave it in its tin for 10 minutes. Next, run a palette knife around the outside of the cake to detach it from the tin. Put a clean, thick tea-towel over the tin and tip the cake out onto your hand. Pull the tin away and then remove the baking paper. Mary Berry shows you how in this video. Mary Berry shows you how to remove cakes from their tins. Originally published March 2019" }, "content_info": { "domain": "Food & Cooking", "subdomain": "Recipes" } }
{ "$oid": "68bace88eb3bdbfd0cc00260" }	f2c0274bf06e0e305c6b1ae7c215a2268b430d9967e7559eb32795f301d312c9	Why is everyone talking about cottage cheese? It was popular back in the 1970s and 80s, so why is it back in fashion again, and what could be the next cheese trend? https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jsnqx6.jpg Hailed for its high-protein, low-fat content, cottage cheese has had its moments over the years. From the 1970s dinner parties and 1980s fad diets to all over social media in 2024. Gone are the days of eating it straight from the tub though, today’s social media influencers are coming up with more and more creative ways to use it. Type ‘cottage cheese recipe’ into social media apps and you will be rewarded with thousands of videos showing you how to make everything from cottage cheese wraps to pancakes and even sweet recipes like brownies and cookies. Of course, with many social media food trends, it’s worth noting that sometimes if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. So, can it really be used in these unusual ways? Chef Dean Harper, from Harper Fine Dining, explains: “Absolutely, you can use cottage cheese in lasagne, brownies, and flatbreads.“In lasagne, it's a marvellous substitute for ricotta, blending beautifully with rich tomato sauces and holding up well during baking. “For brownies, the moisture from cottage cheese can create a remarkably fudgy texture with a hint of tanginess that cuts through the sweetness, crafting a sophisticated flavour profile. Just don’t expect a smooth finish, says Harper: “Caution is advised in dishes requiring a smooth, velvety finish like delicate custards or soufflés. The inherent texture of cottage cheese might not break down completely, potentially compromising the desired consistency.” In a bid to discover how cottage cheese could be used to its full potential, recipe developer Rachel Phipps set herself a challenge to try it in a new way, and voila, cottage cheese pancakes! “I frequently write recipes for American websites and the healthy eating crowd there have been big fans of cottage cheese in pancakes for a while, it feels like we're just catching up,” explains Phipps. “These cottage cheese pancakes are very different from most recipes online though, as I don't blitz the cottage cheese until smooth. I've left the curds intact for a lighter pancake with a lot more texture” and they’re easier to make with less washing up required as you don’t need a blender.” And if you’re looking for an alternative way to enjoy cottage cheese Phipps says “my favourite way to enjoy it is as a base for tomato toast or a tomato salad. Spread it onto good sourdough or across the bottom of a serving platter, then top with sliced ripe tomatoes, and finish with a drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil and some flaky sea salt.” What about ricotta? Whipped ricotta was already making waves on social media earlier in 2024. So, could it be the next cheese trend? It comes with a similar amount of protein to cottage cheese and its texture is for some, less divisive. On top of that it’s easy to cook with. “Ricotta is super versatile - it is brilliant in both sweet and savoury recipes. It has a mellow yet creamy flavour that makes it perfect for carrying or enhancing the flavours of other ingredients. Whipped into cheesecakes or stirred through pasta sauces, it can be used raw or cooked,” explains recipe developer Helen Upshall. “Similar to mascarpone, having a pot of ricotta in your fridge is extremely handy. When hosting I love making a savoury dip with mine, whipping it in a blender along with fresh herbs, a little garlic and onion powder and plenty of seasoning. I serve it as an alternative to hummus or store-bought dips. It’s versatility also extends to its texture. “Raw ricotta has an ever-so slightly grainy texture but when whipped in a blender or stirred through a warm sauce, that texture tends to melt away. And, while the viral cottage cheese wrap is super popular, Upshall has developed a version with ricotta that is just as delicious and even easier to make. “The ricotta wrap idea stemmed from the viral cottage cheese wrap. For ease (and less washing up!) we wanted to do away with the blender and therefore ricotta was the perfect swap due to its smoother texture. Simply whisk all the ingredients in a bowl using a fork and you’re good to go!” “With the addition of garlic and onion powder and of course plenty of seasoning, the wrap has a mellow, cheesy flavour perfect for being the base of any fillings. It has quite a spongey texture and is extremely filling due to the addition of egg, which also helps the wrap to be fairly pliable,” says Upshall.	{ "data_info": { "lang": "en-GB", "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/cottage_cheese_ricotta", "type": "HowTo", "processing_date": "2025-09-05T00:00:00", "delivery_version": "v1.0", "title": "Why is everyone talking about cottage cheese?", "content": "It was popular back in the 1970s and 80s, so why is it back in fashion again, and what could be the next cheese trend? https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jsnqx6.jpg Hailed for its high-protein, low-fat content, cottage cheese has had its moments over the years. From the 1970s dinner parties and 1980s fad diets to all over social media in 2024. Gone are the days of eating it straight from the tub though, today’s social media influencers are coming up with more and more creative ways to use it. Type ‘cottage cheese recipe’ into social media apps and you will be rewarded with thousands of videos showing you how to make everything from cottage cheese wraps to pancakes and even sweet recipes like brownies and cookies. Of course, with many social media food trends, it’s worth noting that sometimes if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. So, can it really be used in these unusual ways? Chef Dean Harper, from Harper Fine Dining, explains: “Absolutely, you can use cottage cheese in lasagne, brownies, and flatbreads.“In lasagne, it's a marvellous substitute for ricotta, blending beautifully with rich tomato sauces and holding up well during baking. “For brownies, the moisture from cottage cheese can create a remarkably fudgy texture with a hint of tanginess that cuts through the sweetness, crafting a sophisticated flavour profile. Just don’t expect a smooth finish, says Harper: “Caution is advised in dishes requiring a smooth, velvety finish like delicate custards or soufflés. The inherent texture of cottage cheese might not break down completely, potentially compromising the desired consistency.” In a bid to discover how cottage cheese could be used to its full potential, recipe developer Rachel Phipps set herself a challenge to try it in a new way, and voila, cottage cheese pancakes! “I frequently write recipes for American websites and the healthy eating crowd there have been big fans of cottage cheese in pancakes for a while, it feels like we're just catching up,” explains Phipps. “These cottage cheese pancakes are very different from most recipes online though, as I don't blitz the cottage cheese until smooth. I've left the curds intact for a lighter pancake with a lot more texture” and they’re easier to make with less washing up required as you don’t need a blender.” And if you’re looking for an alternative way to enjoy cottage cheese Phipps says “my favourite way to enjoy it is as a base for tomato toast or a tomato salad. Spread it onto good sourdough or across the bottom of a serving platter, then top with sliced ripe tomatoes, and finish with a drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil and some flaky sea salt.” What about ricotta? Whipped ricotta was already making waves on social media earlier in 2024. So, could it be the next cheese trend? It comes with a similar amount of protein to cottage cheese and its texture is for some, less divisive. On top of that it’s easy to cook with. “Ricotta is super versatile - it is brilliant in both sweet and savoury recipes. It has a mellow yet creamy flavour that makes it perfect for carrying or enhancing the flavours of other ingredients. Whipped into cheesecakes or stirred through pasta sauces, it can be used raw or cooked,” explains recipe developer Helen Upshall. “Similar to mascarpone, having a pot of ricotta in your fridge is extremely handy. When hosting I love making a savoury dip with mine, whipping it in a blender along with fresh herbs, a little garlic and onion powder and plenty of seasoning. I serve it as an alternative to hummus or store-bought dips. It’s versatility also extends to its texture. “Raw ricotta has an ever-so slightly grainy texture but when whipped in a blender or stirred through a warm sauce, that texture tends to melt away. And, while the viral cottage cheese wrap is super popular, Upshall has developed a version with ricotta that is just as delicious and even easier to make. “The ricotta wrap idea stemmed from the viral cottage cheese wrap. For ease (and less washing up!) we wanted to do away with the blender and therefore ricotta was the perfect swap due to its smoother texture. Simply whisk all the ingredients in a bowl using a fork and you’re good to go!” “With the addition of garlic and onion powder and of course plenty of seasoning, the wrap has a mellow, cheesy flavour perfect for being the base of any fillings. It has quite a spongey texture and is extremely filling due to the addition of egg, which also helps the wrap to be fairly pliable,” says Upshall." }, "content_info": { "domain": "Food & Cooking", "subdomain": "Recipes" } }
{ "$oid": "68bace89eb3bdbfd0cc00261" }	76fdf8135e377cf0b5360f3308dc1ca25fbda2ec4dd5034a676cf19f7f83fbbe	Students spill the beans on how they plan to eat well at uni https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p09vhtm7.jpg There’s a lot to think about before heading off to university for the first time – how to manage your money, make friends and decide what to take with you. And that’s before you’ve even considered what you’re going to cook. No parents to stock the fridge, suddenly (unless you’re in catered halls), you have to decide what to make for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We spoke to students (old and new) to armour freshers for the year ahead. Plan food for the week Poppy Stewart-Jackson, who studies at UCL, recommends planning “food for the week, or at least having a rough idea, so you know what to buy, reducing waste and cost”. With essay deadlines, socials to attend, and finding your way around a new city, having the brain space to plan what to eat for can seem impossible. But 20 minutes of prep can save you so much time and money. Look through our really easy student meals for a week’s worth of ideas to get you started. Cook a big panful to last a few days Making a big batch of something (as long as you have freezer space or don’t mind eating the same thing for two or three days) is a great way to have a hearty meal night after night without spending too much money or time. “I would like to create meals that stretch over a few days, but with a different take each day”, says Holly, who’s off to University of Arts London later this month. “A simple veggie chilli made with a mix of fresh and tinned ingredients, one night with a baked potato, then rice, then with nachos loaded with homemade guacamole, salsa and cheese.” Frank, who’s starting at City University of London, got into meal prep to supplement his gym going. He says fitness “YouTubers often give tips about how to save money yet keep a good protein-filled diet”. As a result, he plans to bulk-buy staples like pasta, rice and noodles and batch-cook on rotation. For example, “I’m going to cook chicken, rice and broccoli on a cycle… keeping items in the fridge for when I need them.” Ruby Craig, who’s going into her third year at Edinburgh University, recommends making soup on a Sunday to see you through the week, something she does regularly with her housemates. “Soup is the best lunch and so useful to have pre-cooked… spending as little on food whilst making the most out of it is the only way through uni.” Bea, who is starting a Foundation year, likes to make soup by frying chopped onion, celery, garlic and chilli in a bit of oil, then adding a tin of tomatoes and another of water, and a handful of red lentils, and simmering for 30 minutes. Cook together “I really recommend cooking together from week one – it steers you from any takeaway temptation and brings you closer as a flat”, says Oscar Dilley, a second year student at the University of Bristol. Starting with fajitas, Oscar and his flat progressed onto tagines, homemade pizzas and Christmas dinner. Poppy agrees, “you can show off your skills (or quickly acquire them), and it’s a good way to learn about your flatmates”. Once you’ve found your confidence, you can try hosting dinners for fun nights in (you can find plenty of examples of student Come Dine With Me on TikTok ), like Ruby. “Every week we’d rotate who cooked on Thursday, a random country had to be generated and you had to pick the national dish. It was fun, we ended up cooking food from places like Turkmenistan and Djibouti, and it broke up the week up”, she says. Try our super-easy budget dinners to cook for your friends. Pick up some kitchen kit “Set yourself up to cook well”, says Oscar. “You won’t get a lot of ‘real estate’ in a uni kitchen… therefore a few bits of high-quality kit will really help you out”. He recommends having a decent kitchen knife and non-stick wok for a smoother transition to solo cooking. Flynn Goulding, who’s starting at the University of Arts in London this autumn, is taking a toastie-maker. “I’ll make toasties with things like ham and cheese, with veg like sliced peppers and tomatoes to make them big.” He's also taking a cheap stick blender to whizz up soups. Hone a few basic skills “Get a few basic skills honed, such as how to do proper seasoning and how to cook rice, for much more enjoyable food”, suggests Oscar. It may sound obvious, but mastering a few techniques is a great way to grow your cooking confidence. It’s amazing how much better pasta tastes if you cook it properly, and how easy it is to slice an onion evenly and quickly if you know how. We have really quick video guides to everything you’ll need to know, from cooking perfect scrambled eggs to preparing vegetables quickly, in our techniques section. Cook one-pot or one-tin recipes Poppy recommends “one-pot or one-tin recipes, they are great for saving on lots of washing up”. Bearing in mind kitchen kit and hob/oven space will probably be limited, meals you can make with just one pan, pot or tray are a fresher’s best friend. They’re easy to put together – and delicious. Once you’ve experimented with a few recipes, let your imagination run wild – sausages, chicken, salmon, halloumi, chopped veg, rice, potatoes and even pasta can all be used to make a deceptively simple dinner. Bea plans to make risotto, as it just needs one pan. She fries onion, garlic and sliced mushrooms in butter or olive oil, then adds risotto rice, before slowly adding stock – topping it up as each ladleful is absorbed and stirring often. When the rice is cooked she mixes in some chopped spinach and grated Parmesan. Flynn is going to make quesadillas in a frying pan with “just two wraps and things like cheese, chicken, mashed mixed beans and spinach in the middle”. He’s also planning to make lots of one-pan egg meals. “I make scrambled eggs in a frying pan so I have the space to add other things to it, like bits of bacon or peas.” Have a few go-to recipes “If you’re a newbie to cooking, staple meals that are simple but nutritious (you need good energy to work and play hard) are spag bol and jacket potato and beans – and use up odds and ends of veg, plus a bit of protein, in stir-fries”, says Poppy. “A staple of our flat is a classic dal”, says Ruby, “because you can make it with the few seasonings in your cupboards, and lentils are so cheap and filling”. “I love a filling breakfast”, says Holly, “a healthier fry-up… mushrooms and spinach fried with chilli and garlic… it’s a good way to start the day.” Georgie Bewley is heading off to the University of York with some delicious recipes in her arsenal. “My mum is a pizza wizard but I’m hopeless at making dough so this is her very simple solution… Cook a tomato sauce (olive oil, garlic, chopped toms, mixed herbs and seasoning), spread over pitta breads and scatter over mozzarella or cheddar and toppings before baking at 200C/Gas 6 for 10 minutes.” Every student needs a good stir-fry, and Georgie plans to use her Beijing aunt’s hack, using instant noodles – making a quick sauce with the seasoning packet, soy sauce and water (you can also add ginger, chilli or spring onions). Thinly slice and fry whatever veg you have before adding the cooked instant noodles and sauce. She scatters on peanuts as a garnish, and suggests you can add cooked thin strips of meat if you prefer. Oscar turns his ramen noodles into a full ramen by “adding a soft-boiled egg, some miso-fried mushrooms and pak choi. Top with peanuts, chilli, soy sauce and pan-fried chicken if you like.” Master our easy classic recipes in our Back to Basics collection. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p09v5wxr.jpg Student Oscar Dilley adds extras like boiled eggs, pak choi and peanuts to instant ramen noodles Buy frozen ingredients and seek out cheap shops At the end of the day, your student loan is only stretching so far. Getting the best value-for-money food is a non-negotiable. Frank plans to supplement own-brand cereals with nuts from local convenience stores, which he finds “cheaper compared to big supermarkets or chain convenience stores”. Ruby and her housemates buy frozen vegetables for adding to everything from stir-fries to homemade ramen. “It’s easy to forget to eat all your veg, even if you really like it, so having a whole bunch of frozen veg in the freezer and being able to add it to literally any dish is the best”, she says. Oscar recommends exploring local fruit and veg stalls and markets. “The quality of ingredients is generally much better, at a similar cost, and you are supporting local businesses”. It’s worth discovering low-cost ingredients that are versatile and nutritious, like vegetables, grains and pulses. Pulses and beans such as chickpeas are cheap, filling and very good for you, and can be used to make tasty curries and stews. Pasta and rice are budget-friendly and can be combined with a seemingly endless number of ingredients for quick, satisfying dinners. Scour social Well, you’re on your phone anyway – why not pick up some food tips? Social media is a fount of foodie inspiration. Video hacks for chicken wraps, baked oats and that feta pasta have taken TikTok by storm. “If you like a certain type of food, there are masses of Instagram pages out there”, says Poppy. “It’s a bit of trial and error finding the recipes, tastes and personalities that work for you. Some of the vegan pages are good fun and the recipes work, too!” Need more inspo? Take a look at our student hub, full of delicious, easy and budget-friendly recipes. Originally published September 2021	{ "data_info": { "lang": "en-GB", "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/student_uni_plans", "type": "HowTo", "processing_date": "2025-09-05T00:00:00", "delivery_version": "v1.0", "title": "Students spill the beans on how they plan to eat well at uni", "content": "https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p09vhtm7.jpg There’s a lot to think about before heading off to university for the first time – how to manage your money, make friends and decide what to take with you. And that’s before you’ve even considered what you’re going to cook. No parents to stock the fridge, suddenly (unless you’re in catered halls), you have to decide what to make for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We spoke to students (old and new) to armour freshers for the year ahead. Plan food for the week Poppy Stewart-Jackson, who studies at UCL, recommends planning “food for the week, or at least having a rough idea, so you know what to buy, reducing waste and cost”. With essay deadlines, socials to attend, and finding your way around a new city, having the brain space to plan what to eat for can seem impossible. But 20 minutes of prep can save you so much time and money. Look through our really easy student meals for a week’s worth of ideas to get you started. Cook a big panful to last a few days Making a big batch of something (as long as you have freezer space or don’t mind eating the same thing for two or three days) is a great way to have a hearty meal night after night without spending too much money or time. “I would like to create meals that stretch over a few days, but with a different take each day”, says Holly, who’s off to University of Arts London later this month. “A simple veggie chilli made with a mix of fresh and tinned ingredients, one night with a baked potato, then rice, then with nachos loaded with homemade guacamole, salsa and cheese.” Frank, who’s starting at City University of London, got into meal prep to supplement his gym going. He says fitness “YouTubers often give tips about how to save money yet keep a good protein-filled diet”. As a result, he plans to bulk-buy staples like pasta, rice and noodles and batch-cook on rotation. For example, “I’m going to cook chicken, rice and broccoli on a cycle… keeping items in the fridge for when I need them.” Ruby Craig, who’s going into her third year at Edinburgh University, recommends making soup on a Sunday to see you through the week, something she does regularly with her housemates. “Soup is the best lunch and so useful to have pre-cooked… spending as little on food whilst making the most out of it is the only way through uni.” Bea, who is starting a Foundation year, likes to make soup by frying chopped onion, celery, garlic and chilli in a bit of oil, then adding a tin of tomatoes and another of water, and a handful of red lentils, and simmering for 30 minutes. Cook together “I really recommend cooking together from week one – it steers you from any takeaway temptation and brings you closer as a flat”, says Oscar Dilley, a second year student at the University of Bristol. Starting with fajitas, Oscar and his flat progressed onto tagines, homemade pizzas and Christmas dinner. Poppy agrees, “you can show off your skills (or quickly acquire them), and it’s a good way to learn about your flatmates”. Once you’ve found your confidence, you can try hosting dinners for fun nights in (you can find plenty of examples of student Come Dine With Me on TikTok ), like Ruby. “Every week we’d rotate who cooked on Thursday, a random country had to be generated and you had to pick the national dish. It was fun, we ended up cooking food from places like Turkmenistan and Djibouti, and it broke up the week up”, she says. Try our super-easy budget dinners to cook for your friends. Pick up some kitchen kit “Set yourself up to cook well”, says Oscar. “You won’t get a lot of ‘real estate’ in a uni kitchen… therefore a few bits of high-quality kit will really help you out”. He recommends having a decent kitchen knife and non-stick wok for a smoother transition to solo cooking. Flynn Goulding, who’s starting at the University of Arts in London this autumn, is taking a toastie-maker. “I’ll make toasties with things like ham and cheese, with veg like sliced peppers and tomatoes to make them big.” He's also taking a cheap stick blender to whizz up soups. Hone a few basic skills “Get a few basic skills honed, such as how to do proper seasoning and how to cook rice, for much more enjoyable food”, suggests Oscar. It may sound obvious, but mastering a few techniques is a great way to grow your cooking confidence. It’s amazing how much better pasta tastes if you cook it properly, and how easy it is to slice an onion evenly and quickly if you know how. We have really quick video guides to everything you’ll need to know, from cooking perfect scrambled eggs to preparing vegetables quickly, in our techniques section. Cook one-pot or one-tin recipes Poppy recommends “one-pot or one-tin recipes, they are great for saving on lots of washing up”. Bearing in mind kitchen kit and hob/oven space will probably be limited, meals you can make with just one pan, pot or tray are a fresher’s best friend. They’re easy to put together – and delicious. Once you’ve experimented with a few recipes, let your imagination run wild – sausages, chicken, salmon, halloumi, chopped veg, rice, potatoes and even pasta can all be used to make a deceptively simple dinner. Bea plans to make risotto, as it just needs one pan. She fries onion, garlic and sliced mushrooms in butter or olive oil, then adds risotto rice, before slowly adding stock – topping it up as each ladleful is absorbed and stirring often. When the rice is cooked she mixes in some chopped spinach and grated Parmesan. Flynn is going to make quesadillas in a frying pan with “just two wraps and things like cheese, chicken, mashed mixed beans and spinach in the middle”. He’s also planning to make lots of one-pan egg meals. “I make scrambled eggs in a frying pan so I have the space to add other things to it, like bits of bacon or peas.” Have a few go-to recipes “If you’re a newbie to cooking, staple meals that are simple but nutritious (you need good energy to work and play hard) are spag bol and jacket potato and beans – and use up odds and ends of veg, plus a bit of protein, in stir-fries”, says Poppy. “A staple of our flat is a classic dal”, says Ruby, “because you can make it with the few seasonings in your cupboards, and lentils are so cheap and filling”. “I love a filling breakfast”, says Holly, “a healthier fry-up… mushrooms and spinach fried with chilli and garlic… it’s a good way to start the day.” Georgie Bewley is heading off to the University of York with some delicious recipes in her arsenal. “My mum is a pizza wizard but I’m hopeless at making dough so this is her very simple solution… Cook a tomato sauce (olive oil, garlic, chopped toms, mixed herbs and seasoning), spread over pitta breads and scatter over mozzarella or cheddar and toppings before baking at 200C/Gas 6 for 10 minutes.” Every student needs a good stir-fry, and Georgie plans to use her Beijing aunt’s hack, using instant noodles – making a quick sauce with the seasoning packet, soy sauce and water (you can also add ginger, chilli or spring onions). Thinly slice and fry whatever veg you have before adding the cooked instant noodles and sauce. She scatters on peanuts as a garnish, and suggests you can add cooked thin strips of meat if you prefer. Oscar turns his ramen noodles into a full ramen by “adding a soft-boiled egg, some miso-fried mushrooms and pak choi. Top with peanuts, chilli, soy sauce and pan-fried chicken if you like.” Master our easy classic recipes in our Back to Basics collection. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p09v5wxr.jpg Student Oscar Dilley adds extras like boiled eggs, pak choi and peanuts to instant ramen noodles Buy frozen ingredients and seek out cheap shops At the end of the day, your student loan is only stretching so far. Getting the best value-for-money food is a non-negotiable. Frank plans to supplement own-brand cereals with nuts from local convenience stores, which he finds “cheaper compared to big supermarkets or chain convenience stores”. Ruby and her housemates buy frozen vegetables for adding to everything from stir-fries to homemade ramen. “It’s easy to forget to eat all your veg, even if you really like it, so having a whole bunch of frozen veg in the freezer and being able to add it to literally any dish is the best”, she says. Oscar recommends exploring local fruit and veg stalls and markets. “The quality of ingredients is generally much better, at a similar cost, and you are supporting local businesses”. It’s worth discovering low-cost ingredients that are versatile and nutritious, like vegetables, grains and pulses. Pulses and beans such as chickpeas are cheap, filling and very good for you, and can be used to make tasty curries and stews. Pasta and rice are budget-friendly and can be combined with a seemingly endless number of ingredients for quick, satisfying dinners. Scour social Well, you’re on your phone anyway – why not pick up some food tips? Social media is a fount of foodie inspiration. Video hacks for chicken wraps, baked oats and that feta pasta have taken TikTok by storm. “If you like a certain type of food, there are masses of Instagram pages out there”, says Poppy. “It’s a bit of trial and error finding the recipes, tastes and personalities that work for you. Some of the vegan pages are good fun and the recipes work, too!” Need more inspo? Take a look at our student hub, full of delicious, easy and budget-friendly recipes. Originally published September 2021" }, "content_info": { "domain": "Food & Cooking", "subdomain": "Recipes" } }
{ "$oid": "68bace89eb3bdbfd0cc00262" }	219e7d2aeb3ffeb04fe51aaedef8311c6839a88f6afee020ca695fc61cfad0be	What is red meat and is it bad for you? Exactly what meats are classed as red? And is it bad for you or could there be some health benefits to eating it regularly? Here’s what the experts say… By Sue Quinn https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jngd37.jpg Do you think pork is a red meat? Read on to find out if you're right... It’s difficult to know where red meat fits into a healthy diet these days. Experts say it contains valuable nutrients, but they also recommend limiting how much of it we eat because of potential health risks. So, on balance, are there health benefits to eating red meat or not? Red meat comes from the muscles of mammals and includes beef, veal, pork, lamb, mutton, venison, and goat. It doesn’t include poultry, game birds, or offal. As a nation, we’re eating less of it than we once did. A 2021 UK study found red meat consumption fell by almost 14g to 23.7g per day between 2008 and 2019. Why are we turning away from a traditional British staple? “People have concerns about the environment, but stronger than that are animal welfare concerns,” says Alice Stanton, Professor of Cardiovascular Therapeutics at Dublin’s School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, who is also a member of the Irish Climate and Health Coalition, the World Action against Salt, Sugar, and Health (WASSH), Meat Technology Ireland, and the Scientific Council of the World Farmers Organisation. “Cost is another enormous factor, because red meat is expensive,” she adds. With so many plant-based alternatives to choose from, some people opt for these over meat because they think they’re healthier. “There is a general belief that red meat is bad for you,” Stanton says. “But the situation isn’t black and white.” Experts – including Stanton – highlight that red meat is rich in vitamins and minerals that are easily absorbed and used by the body, along with other nutrients and chemicals that support our health. But there is some evidence that when eaten in excess, red meat may not be good for us. That’s why government recommendations aim to limit our intake of red or processed meat to a maximum of 70g a day (cooked weight). Nutrients in red meat Protein Red meat is an excellent source of high-quality protein, with around 30g of protein per 100g of meat. “A high-quality protein means it has all the essential amino acids – the building blocks of protein that the body can’t make – in the amounts that we need,” says Bridget Benelam, a nutrition scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation. Although lots of foods contain some protein, the type, quantity and overall quality varies. “When we eat red meat, we provide the body with the right balance of amino acids, which then go on to form both structural and messenger proteins,” Stanton says. Messenger proteins help our cells, tissues, and organs communicate, while structural proteins help shape our cells and tissues. Skirt steak, or bavette, is a reasonably cheap, leaner cut of beef and this Nigella recipe for tamarind-marinated bavette steak is popular Our bodies need high-quality protein, Stanton says, and it’s particularly important at key life stages, including when children are young and also during pregnancy. It’s possible to get the right balance of all the amino acids from plant foods if we carefully include legumes and nuts in our diet. The BDA (Association of UK Dietitians) says: “You can easily meet protein needs by eating protein-rich foods. “These include lentils, beans, chickpeas, seeds, nuts and nut butters (e.g. peanut butter), tofu and tempeh. Eggs and dairy are also good sources if you eat these.” Iron Red meat is a rich source of iron, an important nutrient for making red blood cells. The type of iron in red meat – haem iron – is particularly beneficial, Stanton says. “It’s five times more likely to be absorbed into the body than non-haem iron,” she explains. Not only do plant foods lack haem-iron, but some also contain chemicals called phytates that reduce the absorption of non-haem iron. “For example, legumes contain phytates, which bind to the iron and make it unabsorbable,” Stanton says. There’s evidence suggesting that, while vegans and vegetarians may eat the same amount of iron as meat-eaters, they tend to have less iron in their blood. The BDA advises that: “Eating plant-based non-haem iron with animal protein foods and foods containing vitamin C can help your body absorb the iron.” However, consuming high levels of haem iron has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. "It’s not known exactly why haem iron might increase risk of cardiovascular disease but it may be because high levels could lead to oxidative damage and inflammation. These factors can contribute to the process of atherosclerosis, the ‘furring up’ of the arteries that can lead to a heart attack or stroke,” says Benelam. Zinc In the UK, red meat and animal foods are ‘significant’ sources of zinc, contributing around 30% of our intake.The mineral helps the body produce new cells and enzymes, heal wounds, maintain a healthy immune system, and metabolise food. As with iron, some chemical compounds in plant foods reduce zinc absorption. Vitamin B12 Vitamin B12 is vital for our nervous system and for forming red blood cells and DNA. It is only found in animal products, including red meat, poultry, eggs, dairy, and seafood. “Meat is quite a key source of Vitamin B12 in the UK,” Benelam says. Around 11% of those following vegan diets are thought to be deficient in vitamin B12. If you are following a vegan diet, the NHS suggests having fortified foods or supplements containing nutrients that are more difficult to get from food, including vitamin B12. Health risks associated with red meat In 2015, the World Health Organisation’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified red meat as ‘probably carcinogenic’ based on limited evidence. This means there’s a link between red meat and cancer (mainly colorectal cancer), but there may be other explanations. The associations between processed meat and cancer are stronger and it is categorised as ‘carcinogenic’. Processed meat has been altered by smoking, curing, salting, or adding preservatives. Bacon, some sausages (those that contain preservatives or other additives), salami, ham, and pâté are all examples. “It appears sensible to eat red meat and processed meat in moderate amounts,” Stanton says. Stanton stresses it’s important to leave room in your diet for plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables, fish, legumes, seeds and nuts. There is some evidence that the potential health risks of consuming red and processed meat can be reduced by eating a diet rich in non-starchy vegetables and fruit. The NHS states one reason to limit the amount of red and processed meat we eat that it contains a lot of saturated fat, which is linked to high levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol and an increased risk of heart disease. Dietitian and BDA spokesperson, Aisling Pigott, says it's wise to limit your intake of red meat due to the amount of saturated fat it contains: "We know that high intakes of saturated fat are associated with higher risk of raised cholesterol. Whilst more recent evidence has shown that dietary quality and level of processing has an overall impact on cardiovascular health, it’s not a free pass on red meat. Moderate consumption is important for heart health.” The NHS recommends limiting consumption of red and processed meat to a maximum of 70g a day. You can cut down by eating smaller portions or consuming red meat less often. Originally published August 2024. Updated September 2024	{ "data_info": { "lang": "en-GB", "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/is_red_meat_good_or_bad_for_you", "type": "HowTo", "processing_date": "2025-09-05T00:00:00", "delivery_version": "v1.0", "title": "What is red meat and is it bad for you?", "content": "Exactly what meats are classed as red? And is it bad for you or could there be some health benefits to eating it regularly? Here’s what the experts say… By Sue Quinn https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jngd37.jpg Do you think pork is a red meat? Read on to find out if you're right... It’s difficult to know where red meat fits into a healthy diet these days. Experts say it contains valuable nutrients, but they also recommend limiting how much of it we eat because of potential health risks. So, on balance, are there health benefits to eating red meat or not? Red meat comes from the muscles of mammals and includes beef, veal, pork, lamb, mutton, venison, and goat. It doesn’t include poultry, game birds, or offal. As a nation, we’re eating less of it than we once did. A 2021 UK study found red meat consumption fell by almost 14g to 23.7g per day between 2008 and 2019. Why are we turning away from a traditional British staple? “People have concerns about the environment, but stronger than that are animal welfare concerns,” says Alice Stanton, Professor of Cardiovascular Therapeutics at Dublin’s School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, who is also a member of the Irish Climate and Health Coalition, the World Action against Salt, Sugar, and Health (WASSH), Meat Technology Ireland, and the Scientific Council of the World Farmers Organisation. “Cost is another enormous factor, because red meat is expensive,” she adds. With so many plant-based alternatives to choose from, some people opt for these over meat because they think they’re healthier. “There is a general belief that red meat is bad for you,” Stanton says. “But the situation isn’t black and white.” Experts – including Stanton – highlight that red meat is rich in vitamins and minerals that are easily absorbed and used by the body, along with other nutrients and chemicals that support our health. But there is some evidence that when eaten in excess, red meat may not be good for us. That’s why government recommendations aim to limit our intake of red or processed meat to a maximum of 70g a day (cooked weight). Nutrients in red meat Protein Red meat is an excellent source of high-quality protein, with around 30g of protein per 100g of meat. “A high-quality protein means it has all the essential amino acids – the building blocks of protein that the body can’t make – in the amounts that we need,” says Bridget Benelam, a nutrition scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation. Although lots of foods contain some protein, the type, quantity and overall quality varies. “When we eat red meat, we provide the body with the right balance of amino acids, which then go on to form both structural and messenger proteins,” Stanton says. Messenger proteins help our cells, tissues, and organs communicate, while structural proteins help shape our cells and tissues. Skirt steak, or bavette, is a reasonably cheap, leaner cut of beef and this Nigella recipe for tamarind-marinated bavette steak is popular Our bodies need high-quality protein, Stanton says, and it’s particularly important at key life stages, including when children are young and also during pregnancy. It’s possible to get the right balance of all the amino acids from plant foods if we carefully include legumes and nuts in our diet. The BDA (Association of UK Dietitians) says: “You can easily meet protein needs by eating protein-rich foods. “These include lentils, beans, chickpeas, seeds, nuts and nut butters (e.g. peanut butter), tofu and tempeh. Eggs and dairy are also good sources if you eat these.” Iron Red meat is a rich source of iron, an important nutrient for making red blood cells. The type of iron in red meat – haem iron – is particularly beneficial, Stanton says. “It’s five times more likely to be absorbed into the body than non-haem iron,” she explains. Not only do plant foods lack haem-iron, but some also contain chemicals called phytates that reduce the absorption of non-haem iron. “For example, legumes contain phytates, which bind to the iron and make it unabsorbable,” Stanton says. There’s evidence suggesting that, while vegans and vegetarians may eat the same amount of iron as meat-eaters, they tend to have less iron in their blood. The BDA advises that: “Eating plant-based non-haem iron with animal protein foods and foods containing vitamin C can help your body absorb the iron.” However, consuming high levels of haem iron has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. \"It’s not known exactly why haem iron might increase risk of cardiovascular disease but it may be because high levels could lead to oxidative damage and inflammation. These factors can contribute to the process of atherosclerosis, the ‘furring up’ of the arteries that can lead to a heart attack or stroke,” says Benelam. Zinc In the UK, red meat and animal foods are ‘significant’ sources of zinc, contributing around 30% of our intake.The mineral helps the body produce new cells and enzymes, heal wounds, maintain a healthy immune system, and metabolise food. As with iron, some chemical compounds in plant foods reduce zinc absorption. Vitamin B12 Vitamin B12 is vital for our nervous system and for forming red blood cells and DNA. It is only found in animal products, including red meat, poultry, eggs, dairy, and seafood. “Meat is quite a key source of Vitamin B12 in the UK,” Benelam says. Around 11% of those following vegan diets are thought to be deficient in vitamin B12. If you are following a vegan diet, the NHS suggests having fortified foods or supplements containing nutrients that are more difficult to get from food, including vitamin B12. Health risks associated with red meat In 2015, the World Health Organisation’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified red meat as ‘probably carcinogenic’ based on limited evidence. This means there’s a link between red meat and cancer (mainly colorectal cancer), but there may be other explanations. The associations between processed meat and cancer are stronger and it is categorised as ‘carcinogenic’. Processed meat has been altered by smoking, curing, salting, or adding preservatives. Bacon, some sausages (those that contain preservatives or other additives), salami, ham, and pâté are all examples. “It appears sensible to eat red meat and processed meat in moderate amounts,” Stanton says. Stanton stresses it’s important to leave room in your diet for plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables, fish, legumes, seeds and nuts. There is some evidence that the potential health risks of consuming red and processed meat can be reduced by eating a diet rich in non-starchy vegetables and fruit. The NHS states one reason to limit the amount of red and processed meat we eat that it contains a lot of saturated fat, which is linked to high levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol and an increased risk of heart disease. Dietitian and BDA spokesperson, Aisling Pigott, says it's wise to limit your intake of red meat due to the amount of saturated fat it contains: \"We know that high intakes of saturated fat are associated with higher risk of raised cholesterol. Whilst more recent evidence has shown that dietary quality and level of processing has an overall impact on cardiovascular health, it’s not a free pass on red meat. Moderate consumption is important for heart health.” The NHS recommends limiting consumption of red and processed meat to a maximum of 70g a day. You can cut down by eating smaller portions or consuming red meat less often. Originally published August 2024. Updated September 2024" }, "content_info": { "domain": "Food & Cooking", "subdomain": "Recipes" } }
{ "$oid": "68bace89eb3bdbfd0cc00263" }	903e74bac7760d53f5c9dc49fcf7f6d3313fe79b196b3e78728235658cd5caa0	How the low-FODMAP diet transformed my health by Rose Clark https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p07gxpb2.jpg If five years ago someone had said I wouldn’t eat a scrap of onion or garlic or my daily Granny Smith, I’d have told them exactly where to stick that apple. But after years of pregnancy-belly, stomach pains and military-like plans for toilet emergencies, I was diagnosed with IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and put on the low-FODMAP diet, which alleviates symptoms in 70 percent of sufferers. We don’t know why some people get IBS. About 12 percent of people in the UK experience it in any year, and it’s more common in women and people under 50. Contributing factors include infections, stress and genetics, so it’s unsurprising that treatments vary – and it’s usually a lifelong condition. But it’s not all doom and gloom. Could a diet that involves cutting out staples such as bread, milk and lots of fruits and vegetables work for me? What is the low-FODMAP diet? Numerous studies show certain foods exacerbate symptoms in 70–89 percent of IBS sufferers. The low-FODMAP diet cuts out foods containing short-chain carbohydrates for four to eight weeks. These are poorly absorbed by the small intestine, so ferment quickly. That can lead to excess water and gas, resulting in IBS symptoms. FODMAP stands for the types of sugars – Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Dissacharides, Monosaccharides And Polyols. They are found in foods as wide-ranging as pasta, apples and chickpeas. The list of foods off the menu is daunting. How could I make a sauce without onion or garlic? What would I eat for breakfast without lactose or gluten? But within a few weeks of going on the diet, my stomach had deflated and I was virtually pain-free for the first time in years. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jr8kvb.jpg To begin with there were lots of foods I had to avoid So what can you eat? “Focus on all of the foods you can eat rather than the foods you can’t”, says dietitian Chloe Hall. There are plenty of low-FODMAP foods – meat, fish, eggs, rice and lots of fruit and veg, as well as an ever-growing selection of lactose-free and gluten-free alternatives. “Chives are a great way to add onion flavour… and almost all spices are low-FODMAP. A sprinkling of low-FODMAP nuts or a squeeze of citrus can add flavour. Miso and anchovies can add the best umami punch”, says low-FODMAP blogger and author Emma Hatcher. There is a way to make almost anything FODMAP-friendly. My favourite hacks include finely chopped celery and garlic-infused oil (garlic isn't soluble in oil) as a base for sauces, curries and soups. I make ‘hummus’ using spiced-roast squash and plenty of tahini instead of chickpeas and garlic. Homemade muesli and granola is cheaper and nicer than shop-bought too. I’ve got used to the looks of waiters when I list my dietary requirements, and (mostly) feel less awkward answering a dinner invitation with a thesis of what’s off the menu! Reintroducing FODMAPs Once the elimination process is over, if symptoms have improved, patients reintroduce food groups one at a time to see which foods they’re sensitive to and to what extent they trigger symptoms. The third stage is living on a personalised version of the diet, hopefully symptom-free. I found the reintroduction process tricky. Despite initially thinking I’d be desperate to tuck into dal, apple pie and garlic bread again, I was reluctant to eat anything that might make me feel unwell. Having a dietitian’s advice and trialling one food at a time in small doses over a number of days was key. If your symptoms return, you must wait until they’ve gone before trying another food. Over time, I’ve been able to reintroduce loads of ingredients. I doubt I’ll ever be able to eat a French onion soup, but I can eat lactose in all its delicious forms, as well as leeks, asparagus, peas, artichokes, cauliflower and mushrooms. I’m a vegetarian, but still get enough protein (thank you tofu, eggs, quinoa, nuts and milk). It’s important to keep trying to reintroduce foods, as your tolerance can change over time. “The ultimate goal is to eat and live as freely as possible – the more FODMAPs you can return to your diet without triggering symptoms, the healthier your gut is likely to be”, says Emma Hatcher. Before you start the diet It’s crucial to be diagnosed with IBS by a doctor, and to consult a dietitian, before cutting out FODMAPs. I was referred to a dietitian by my GP. There are also private dietitians with specialist gastrointestinal knowledge. There’s little research on the long-term impacts of being FODMAP-free. Some FODMAPs are prebiotic, so the more you eat, the more good gut bacteria can grow. Studies have linked having a healthy composition of gut microbes to a strong immune system, the body’s metabolic functions and many other aspects of health. “It is essential that people do not follow the diet long term and reintroduce FODMAP-containing foods in a structured manner to improve their microbiome”, says Professor Kevin Whelan, Head of Department of Nutritional Sciences at King’s College London. He also suggests people consider a probiotic supplement, especially one containing the bacteria bifidobacteria, which has been shown to go down on the diet. The low-FODMAP diet isn’t the only way to treat IBS symptoms. The NHS recommends exercise, relaxation, homemade healthy meals and trying probiotics. They also suggest not skipping meals, avoiding spicy, fatty and processed foods and limiting the amount of caffeine, alcohol and fizzy drinks you consume. But if you’ve been diagnosed with IBS and decide to try the FODMAP diet, these recipes will help you to eat well. Life goes on after garlic, believe me. Originally published July 2019	{ "data_info": { "lang": "en-GB", "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/what_is_a_fodmap_diet", "type": "HowTo", "processing_date": "2025-09-05T00:00:00", "delivery_version": "v1.0", "title": "How the low-FODMAP diet transformed my health", "content": "by Rose Clark https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p07gxpb2.jpg If five years ago someone had said I wouldn’t eat a scrap of onion or garlic or my daily Granny Smith, I’d have told them exactly where to stick that apple. But after years of pregnancy-belly, stomach pains and military-like plans for toilet emergencies, I was diagnosed with IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and put on the low-FODMAP diet, which alleviates symptoms in 70 percent of sufferers. We don’t know why some people get IBS. About 12 percent of people in the UK experience it in any year, and it’s more common in women and people under 50. Contributing factors include infections, stress and genetics, so it’s unsurprising that treatments vary – and it’s usually a lifelong condition. But it’s not all doom and gloom. Could a diet that involves cutting out staples such as bread, milk and lots of fruits and vegetables work for me? What is the low-FODMAP diet? Numerous studies show certain foods exacerbate symptoms in 70–89 percent of IBS sufferers. The low-FODMAP diet cuts out foods containing short-chain carbohydrates for four to eight weeks. These are poorly absorbed by the small intestine, so ferment quickly. That can lead to excess water and gas, resulting in IBS symptoms. FODMAP stands for the types of sugars – Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Dissacharides, Monosaccharides And Polyols. They are found in foods as wide-ranging as pasta, apples and chickpeas. The list of foods off the menu is daunting. How could I make a sauce without onion or garlic? What would I eat for breakfast without lactose or gluten? But within a few weeks of going on the diet, my stomach had deflated and I was virtually pain-free for the first time in years. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jr8kvb.jpg To begin with there were lots of foods I had to avoid So what can you eat? “Focus on all of the foods you can eat rather than the foods you can’t”, says dietitian Chloe Hall. There are plenty of low-FODMAP foods – meat, fish, eggs, rice and lots of fruit and veg, as well as an ever-growing selection of lactose-free and gluten-free alternatives. “Chives are a great way to add onion flavour… and almost all spices are low-FODMAP. A sprinkling of low-FODMAP nuts or a squeeze of citrus can add flavour. Miso and anchovies can add the best umami punch”, says low-FODMAP blogger and author Emma Hatcher. There is a way to make almost anything FODMAP-friendly. My favourite hacks include finely chopped celery and garlic-infused oil (garlic isn't soluble in oil) as a base for sauces, curries and soups. I make ‘hummus’ using spiced-roast squash and plenty of tahini instead of chickpeas and garlic. Homemade muesli and granola is cheaper and nicer than shop-bought too. I’ve got used to the looks of waiters when I list my dietary requirements, and (mostly) feel less awkward answering a dinner invitation with a thesis of what’s off the menu! Reintroducing FODMAPs Once the elimination process is over, if symptoms have improved, patients reintroduce food groups one at a time to see which foods they’re sensitive to and to what extent they trigger symptoms. The third stage is living on a personalised version of the diet, hopefully symptom-free. I found the reintroduction process tricky. Despite initially thinking I’d be desperate to tuck into dal, apple pie and garlic bread again, I was reluctant to eat anything that might make me feel unwell. Having a dietitian’s advice and trialling one food at a time in small doses over a number of days was key. If your symptoms return, you must wait until they’ve gone before trying another food. Over time, I’ve been able to reintroduce loads of ingredients. I doubt I’ll ever be able to eat a French onion soup, but I can eat lactose in all its delicious forms, as well as leeks, asparagus, peas, artichokes, cauliflower and mushrooms. I’m a vegetarian, but still get enough protein (thank you tofu, eggs, quinoa, nuts and milk). It’s important to keep trying to reintroduce foods, as your tolerance can change over time. “The ultimate goal is to eat and live as freely as possible – the more FODMAPs you can return to your diet without triggering symptoms, the healthier your gut is likely to be”, says Emma Hatcher. Before you start the diet It’s crucial to be diagnosed with IBS by a doctor, and to consult a dietitian, before cutting out FODMAPs. I was referred to a dietitian by my GP. There are also private dietitians with specialist gastrointestinal knowledge. There’s little research on the long-term impacts of being FODMAP-free. Some FODMAPs are prebiotic, so the more you eat, the more good gut bacteria can grow. Studies have linked having a healthy composition of gut microbes to a strong immune system, the body’s metabolic functions and many other aspects of health. “It is essential that people do not follow the diet long term and reintroduce FODMAP-containing foods in a structured manner to improve their microbiome”, says Professor Kevin Whelan, Head of Department of Nutritional Sciences at King’s College London. He also suggests people consider a probiotic supplement, especially one containing the bacteria bifidobacteria, which has been shown to go down on the diet. The low-FODMAP diet isn’t the only way to treat IBS symptoms. The NHS recommends exercise, relaxation, homemade healthy meals and trying probiotics. They also suggest not skipping meals, avoiding spicy, fatty and processed foods and limiting the amount of caffeine, alcohol and fizzy drinks you consume. But if you’ve been diagnosed with IBS and decide to try the FODMAP diet, these recipes will help you to eat well. Life goes on after garlic, believe me. Originally published July 2019" }, "content_info": { "domain": "Food & Cooking", "subdomain": "Recipes" } }
{ "$oid": "68bace8aeb3bdbfd0cc00264" }	3548b3db2c99ac0e4a3ad095cd1a994e1e86d3a8903e4decab799ea27658e618	Is a keto diet a good way to lose weight? https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jr7879.jpg The low-carb, high-fat ketogenic diet has been promoted online and in the media as a weight-loss tool and seemingly all-round magical healer. Yet it was first developed in the 1920s for children with epilepsy. There’s no shortage of celebrity and influencer fans. Previously, Jersey Shore star Vinny Guadagnino, Kourtney Kardashian and Halle Berry have all spoken about following the keto diet. But even the health and wellness influencers may not be qualified nutritionists or dieticians. “Nutritional advice is highly unregulated, particularly online”, says dietitian Sophie Medlin. As of now, #keto has around 27 million tags on Instagram. When you’re following a keto diet you aim to be in a state of ‘ketosis’. We ask the experts what ketosis is, if it’s worth the effort and if it’s safe. What do you eat on a keto diet? https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jr785c.jpg Your body uses whichever energy source is most readily available. This is normally glucose (sugar) converted from carbohydrates. If you drastically limit your carbohydrate consumption and replace it with fat, your body is eventually forced to use fat from food or your stores as energy instead. This process is called ‘ketosis’. “It is essentially the Atkins diet repackaged and renamed”, says Medlin. “Most people calling their diet ‘keto’ are simply following a low or very low-carbohydrate diet”, she continues. The degree to which you need to restrict carbohydrates to be in ketosis “varies from person to person”, she adds. In a clinical or therapeutic setting, such as for children with epilepsy, the diet is designed specifically for the individual and support and monitoring are provided. Low-carb, high-fat ingredients include avocados, meat, fish, eggs, cheese, cream, oil, butter, nuts and seeds. But not all ingredients need to be high in fat – leafy greens and berries are often included, for example. You avoid, or at least heavily restrict, wheat and other grains, potatoes, corn, pulses, beans, milk, most fruit and sugar. To induce ketosis, a maximum of 20–50g carbohydrates can be consumed daily for someone eating 2,000 calories a day, according to a 2019 paper on the ketogenic diet. To put this into perspective, a banana contains about 20g and a plain bagel 44g. Protein is also usually kept to a moderate amount, as it can encourage the production of glucose and interrupt ketosis. The keto diet has few rules on which high-fat foods to eat, and ‘dirty keto’ can consist of bacon and sausages fried in butter, as this technically meets the criteria. Medlin says the healthy eating guidelines should always roughly apply, even if you limit carbohydrates and regardless of what diet you're following. Will a keto diet help you lose weight? https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jr78cy.jpg Research has shown a ketogenic diet can induce rapid weight loss, partly from water loss but also some fat loss. However, the “weight loss effect becomes similar to other dietary approaches after one year”, according to a 2019 review of low-carb diets. Taking in less energy than you burn will lead to weight loss. The National Diet and Nutrition Survey reports that on average we get almost 50 percent of our energy from carbs. “Cutting this by at least half is likely to reduce total calorie intake, even if it’s replaced with fats”, says Medlin. On the other hand, if you eat more calories from fat than your body needs it will still be stored as fat. The ‘eat like me to look like me’ ideology is flawed. “We all have different genetics and lifestyles, which means we can’t all look the same”, says Medlin. Research shows the best weight-loss diet is the one you can stick to for long enough to reduce excess body fat. Long-term compliance with the keto diet is low. Medlin cites restricting a whole food group, symptoms known as ‘keto flu’ (including headaches, nausea, constipation, tiredness and difficulty sleeping) which can kick in after two to seven days, and the higher-than-average cost of the diet as potential reasons why people might struggle to stick to it. “The keto diet is used for certain therapeutic situations and isn’t meant for the mainstream weight-loss market”, says dietitian Priya Tew. “Carbohydrates have an important role in our diets and whilst reducing them may aid weight loss it is not sustainable to reduce them to a very low level.” Is a keto diet safe? https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p07m7gjj.jpg “Many of the trials investigating ketogenic diets only follow participants for around six months up to one year at the most”, says nutritionist Emma Thornton, “therefore, the longer term effects… aren’t well understood.” Medlin says the health risks also depend on the types of food eaten. Eating an unhealthy diet containing lots of saturated fat may increase health risks such as heart disease and stroke. Foods containing carbohydrates are often also high in fibre, which is important for a healthy gut microbiome and keeping you fuller for longer. Medlin advises anyone on a low-carb diet to ensure they eat enough fibre-rich foods from leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, flax seeds, nuts, coconut and avocado. The keto diet limits starchy vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, parsnips, pumpkin and squash and eliminates many fruits. This might restrict the amount and variety of nutrients, vitamins and phytochemicals (plant power) you get from your food, especially if you remove them rather than replace them. People who restrict their carbohydrates and increase fatty foods may develop ‘keto flu’. There is very little medical research on this, but there are thousands of personal testimonies. Though it sounds unpleasant, it isn’t necessarily unsafe and many reports indicate the discomfort subsides. It is also not clear whether it only occurs on the keto diet or can be caused by other restrictive diets. The keto diet might not be for everyone If you take any medication or have any medical issues, consult a doctor or dietitian before starting a keto diet. For some people, a keto diet may cause harm, even with careful monitoring. Alternatives ways to lose weight “I recommend checking your portions sizes are sensible, with potentially a small decrease in these and an increase in your vegetable intake”, says Priya Tew. She does not recommend reducing your carbohydrate intake to less than a quarter of your diet. “Small steps make a big difference”, says Emma Thornton. She suggests cooking from scratch at home and expanding your knowledge of fresh ingredients is a good starting point. She also says other higher-fat and lower-carb diets, such as the popular Mediterranean-style diet, can be healthy as long as plenty of fish, nuts, seeds, other foods rich in healthy fats and vegetables are on the menu. A key way to address weight-loss is to look at “why you eat rather than what you eat”, according to Medlin. Stress, poor sleep and choosing unrealistic diets have been identified as some of the main reasons people discontinue their weight-loss diet. An indepth review suggests the most effective strategy for long-term weight-loss and heart health is a healthy diet pattern that's compatible with your food preferences and lifestyle. “It’s really important not to beat yourself up over having some birthday cake or foods you love once in a while”, concludes Medlin. Originally published September 2019	{ "data_info": { "lang": "en-GB", "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/keto_diet_weight_loss", "type": "HowTo", "processing_date": "2025-09-05T00:00:00", "delivery_version": "v1.0", "title": "Is a keto diet a good way to lose weight?", "content": "https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jr7879.jpg The low-carb, high-fat ketogenic diet has been promoted online and in the media as a weight-loss tool and seemingly all-round magical healer. Yet it was first developed in the 1920s for children with epilepsy. There’s no shortage of celebrity and influencer fans. Previously, Jersey Shore star Vinny Guadagnino, Kourtney Kardashian and Halle Berry have all spoken about following the keto diet. But even the health and wellness influencers may not be qualified nutritionists or dieticians. “Nutritional advice is highly unregulated, particularly online”, says dietitian Sophie Medlin. As of now, #keto has around 27 million tags on Instagram. When you’re following a keto diet you aim to be in a state of ‘ketosis’. We ask the experts what ketosis is, if it’s worth the effort and if it’s safe. What do you eat on a keto diet? https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jr785c.jpg Your body uses whichever energy source is most readily available. This is normally glucose (sugar) converted from carbohydrates. If you drastically limit your carbohydrate consumption and replace it with fat, your body is eventually forced to use fat from food or your stores as energy instead. This process is called ‘ketosis’. “It is essentially the Atkins diet repackaged and renamed”, says Medlin. “Most people calling their diet ‘keto’ are simply following a low or very low-carbohydrate diet”, she continues. The degree to which you need to restrict carbohydrates to be in ketosis “varies from person to person”, she adds. In a clinical or therapeutic setting, such as for children with epilepsy, the diet is designed specifically for the individual and support and monitoring are provided. Low-carb, high-fat ingredients include avocados, meat, fish, eggs, cheese, cream, oil, butter, nuts and seeds. But not all ingredients need to be high in fat – leafy greens and berries are often included, for example. You avoid, or at least heavily restrict, wheat and other grains, potatoes, corn, pulses, beans, milk, most fruit and sugar. To induce ketosis, a maximum of 20–50g carbohydrates can be consumed daily for someone eating 2,000 calories a day, according to a 2019 paper on the ketogenic diet. To put this into perspective, a banana contains about 20g and a plain bagel 44g. Protein is also usually kept to a moderate amount, as it can encourage the production of glucose and interrupt ketosis. The keto diet has few rules on which high-fat foods to eat, and ‘dirty keto’ can consist of bacon and sausages fried in butter, as this technically meets the criteria. Medlin says the healthy eating guidelines should always roughly apply, even if you limit carbohydrates and regardless of what diet you're following. Will a keto diet help you lose weight? https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jr78cy.jpg Research has shown a ketogenic diet can induce rapid weight loss, partly from water loss but also some fat loss. However, the “weight loss effect becomes similar to other dietary approaches after one year”, according to a 2019 review of low-carb diets. Taking in less energy than you burn will lead to weight loss. The National Diet and Nutrition Survey reports that on average we get almost 50 percent of our energy from carbs. “Cutting this by at least half is likely to reduce total calorie intake, even if it’s replaced with fats”, says Medlin. On the other hand, if you eat more calories from fat than your body needs it will still be stored as fat. The ‘eat like me to look like me’ ideology is flawed. “We all have different genetics and lifestyles, which means we can’t all look the same”, says Medlin. Research shows the best weight-loss diet is the one you can stick to for long enough to reduce excess body fat. Long-term compliance with the keto diet is low. Medlin cites restricting a whole food group, symptoms known as ‘keto flu’ (including headaches, nausea, constipation, tiredness and difficulty sleeping) which can kick in after two to seven days, and the higher-than-average cost of the diet as potential reasons why people might struggle to stick to it. “The keto diet is used for certain therapeutic situations and isn’t meant for the mainstream weight-loss market”, says dietitian Priya Tew. “Carbohydrates have an important role in our diets and whilst reducing them may aid weight loss it is not sustainable to reduce them to a very low level.” Is a keto diet safe? https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p07m7gjj.jpg “Many of the trials investigating ketogenic diets only follow participants for around six months up to one year at the most”, says nutritionist Emma Thornton, “therefore, the longer term effects… aren’t well understood.” Medlin says the health risks also depend on the types of food eaten. Eating an unhealthy diet containing lots of saturated fat may increase health risks such as heart disease and stroke. Foods containing carbohydrates are often also high in fibre, which is important for a healthy gut microbiome and keeping you fuller for longer. Medlin advises anyone on a low-carb diet to ensure they eat enough fibre-rich foods from leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, flax seeds, nuts, coconut and avocado. The keto diet limits starchy vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, parsnips, pumpkin and squash and eliminates many fruits. This might restrict the amount and variety of nutrients, vitamins and phytochemicals (plant power) you get from your food, especially if you remove them rather than replace them. People who restrict their carbohydrates and increase fatty foods may develop ‘keto flu’. There is very little medical research on this, but there are thousands of personal testimonies. Though it sounds unpleasant, it isn’t necessarily unsafe and many reports indicate the discomfort subsides. It is also not clear whether it only occurs on the keto diet or can be caused by other restrictive diets. The keto diet might not be for everyone If you take any medication or have any medical issues, consult a doctor or dietitian before starting a keto diet. For some people, a keto diet may cause harm, even with careful monitoring. Alternatives ways to lose weight “I recommend checking your portions sizes are sensible, with potentially a small decrease in these and an increase in your vegetable intake”, says Priya Tew. She does not recommend reducing your carbohydrate intake to less than a quarter of your diet. “Small steps make a big difference”, says Emma Thornton. She suggests cooking from scratch at home and expanding your knowledge of fresh ingredients is a good starting point. She also says other higher-fat and lower-carb diets, such as the popular Mediterranean-style diet, can be healthy as long as plenty of fish, nuts, seeds, other foods rich in healthy fats and vegetables are on the menu. A key way to address weight-loss is to look at “why you eat rather than what you eat”, according to Medlin. Stress, poor sleep and choosing unrealistic diets have been identified as some of the main reasons people discontinue their weight-loss diet. An indepth review suggests the most effective strategy for long-term weight-loss and heart health is a healthy diet pattern that's compatible with your food preferences and lifestyle. “It’s really important not to beat yourself up over having some birthday cake or foods you love once in a while”, concludes Medlin. Originally published September 2019" }, "content_info": { "domain": "Food & Cooking", "subdomain": "Recipes" } }
{ "$oid": "68bace8aeb3bdbfd0cc00265" }	4eb5ce8f84248b2cda2149dac6d44536ed66e65c150c24694c29bef8b484adb9	The food myths my friends believe that drive me crazy https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p08yz4s5.jpg by Lottie Savage Food myths are plentiful, and it’s unsurprising we get roped into believing them when they’re packaged up into interesting and relatable bitesize ‘facts’ on blogs and social media. I’m not referring to harmless myths, like carrots help you see in the dark or chocolate is an aphrodisiac. It’s the myths that have a bigger effect on our daily diet – and that often have a grain of truth to them – that seem to really take hold. When did you last hear that natural sugars are healthy, that it’s important to drink protein shakes if you exercise, or that bloating means you’re almost certainly gluten-intolerant? I studied nutrition at uni, so most of the time I can separate fact from fiction (though I’m not judging – I’m renown for believing everything friends tell me). Here are the myths I hear most often… ‘Carbs are bad’ I’ve been hearing this one for years, usually from people trying to lose weight, but often from friends just wanting to follow a healthy diet. There’s even some confusion about which foods are actually carbs. One friend declined bread with her soup for lunch recently because she was avoiding carbs, but then picked up a fizzy drink! (We’ve all been there – a member of the BBC Food team says she announced as a teenager “I’m not eating carbs any more”… whilst eating a wrap! Ed.) Carb control has many forms, whether it’s not eating them after a particular time of day, or ‘No carbs before Marbs’, a phrase coined by The Only Way is Essex, meaning no carbs in the days running up to a holiday or anywhere else a bikini might make an appearance. Do we really have to put ourselves through this? Everything about the three main types of carbs – sugar, starch and fibre – varies massively, from how they interact with your body to how they release sugar and other nutrients. Carbs are our main supply of energy. But it’s important to choose the ones that deliver other nutrients and fibre, including wholegrain carbs such as brown rice, bread and pasta and whole fruit and veg. Most of us don’t get the 30g of fibre per day recommended for adults by Public Health England. What’s all the fuss about fibre? It helps digestion and feeds the good bacteria living in the gut, so they can perform the multitude of functions that help your body. ‘Calories are all the same’ I’ve overheard many a conversation in which foods have been condensed down to their calorific content. Once foods become numbers, it seems people start to compare them. “It doesn’t make a difference if I eat a couple of cubes of milk chocolate or a banana if they’re the same number of calories”, I’ve heard. If two people consume the same number of calories in a day, one eating nutritious foods, the other snacking on junk foods, the impact on their bodies will be very different. Let’s take the chocolate and banana example. They might both add up to 90 calories, but the chocolate is likely to be high in fat, especially saturated fat which promotes an increase in cholesterol, and in sugar, which causes a blood-sugar spike followed by a crash that leaves you feeling hungry again. By comparison, the fibre in the banana helps to slow its release of sugar, allowing for a more gradual rise in blood sugar to leave you feel fuller for longer. Not to mention the extra vitamins and minerals in the banana. It’s important to think about nutrients rather than just calories, and to avoid calorie counting, which can have a negative impact on your relationship with food. ‘Natural sugar alternatives are healthy’ https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p08yz4lv.jpg Who doesn’t love a sweet treat? We all know eating too much sugar is bad for us, so it’s not surprising we convince ourselves natural sugar alternatives are healthy. “I put honey in my tea instead of refined sugar because it’s natural, so it’s better for me”, a friend told me. But the body still sees it as sugar. Agave syrup and maple syrup also often pop up in friends’ cupboards. Someone recently asked me if I had honey or agave syrup they could borrow, and when I said no, they asked for brown sugar instead. But brown sugar is made by adding molasses to white sugar. Some natural sugar alternatives may contain a couple more micronutrients than refined sugar, but they’re in such tiny quantities that there is little difference between them. They are still sugar The problem kicks in with breakfast cereals too. Honey often features high in the ingredients list for granola and cereal bars, yet they’re sold as a healthy option. The World Health Organisation recommends we limit our added sugar intake to below five percent of our recommended energy intake. That’s 6-7 teaspoons of added sugar per day, including what’s in fruit juices and readymade products. So it’s important to keep an eye on those labels. ‘You won’t get enough protein on a vegetarian diet’ I’ve often been offered a sneaky chicken nugget after a few drinks. “Surely you don’t get enough protein in your diet if you don’t eat meat or fish”, friends say. When I went vegan for a while, the advice went through the roof! But most vegetarians do get enough protein from foods such as dairy, eggs, pulses and nuts. It’s good to include a range of these sources in your diet, to ensure you get all the different proteins needed to build and repair cells. Proteins are made up of amino acids and there are nine the body can’t make, so they have to come from our diet. Animal protein sources, including dairy and eggs, contain all these amino acids, whereas plant sources don’t have the full set, so we pair them up into complementary proteins to provide them all. The famous coupling of beans on toast is a good example of this. But there are some micronutrients you are more likely to lack on a vegetarian diet, including vitamin B12 and iron. There are plenty of other places to find these two nutrients though – you can get B12 from milk and fortified breakfast cereals and iron from pulses and dark green vegetables. Maybe throw some kale on top of those beans on toast! ‘Eating a healthy diet is expensive’ It’s no myth that eating a healthy diet can be pricey, but it doesn’t have to be. I meet lots of people who blow their weekly food budget on ‘healthy’ readymeals and special ingredients such as vegan meat alternatives. Sometimes it helps to go back to basics, for example buying oats (to whip up into a cheap and cheerful morning porridge) instead of breakfast cereals, which are often full of sugar. Fruit and veg can be cheap – especially if you buy them frozen. Frozen spinach is my favourite, and you don’t get the disappointment of a big bag of fresh spinach wilting down to a tiny bundle. Tins of beans and legumes add cheap protein and fibre to a meal – swap meat for chickpeas in a curry or stew. Wholegrain foods cost little or no more than their refined alternatives too. ‘Freefrom products are always healthier’ “I’ll buy the freefrom biscuits, they’re healthier because they don’t contain milk or wheat”, I hear. Or “I’m getting the gluten-free pasta, as I’m avoiding gluten at the moment”, from people who have no issues with digestion. It’s understandable many people think of wheat and milk in a bad light, when a section of the supermarket is devoted to freefrom foods sold in green, natural-looking packaging, with a few plant graphics thrown in for good measure. It can lead us to think foods free-from wheat, gluten or milk must be healthier. But for most of us this is not true. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, and has picked up a bad rep. For people with a gluten intolerance – or for those with coeliac disease (an autoimmune disease) – it is the enemy, there to sabotage your well-being. Likewise, for those with a lactose intolerance it’s important to avoid milk, as lactose is the main sugar in milk. If you think you might have a food intolerance, allergy or autoimmune disease, it’s best to get checked out by your GP rather than putting your faith in an online test. Lottie Savage graduated with a BSc in Nutrition from the University of Leeds in 2020.	{ "data_info": { "lang": "en-GB", "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/food_myths", "type": "HowTo", "processing_date": "2025-09-05T00:00:00", "delivery_version": "v1.0", "title": "The food myths my friends believe that drive me crazy", "content": "https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p08yz4s5.jpg by Lottie Savage Food myths are plentiful, and it’s unsurprising we get roped into believing them when they’re packaged up into interesting and relatable bitesize ‘facts’ on blogs and social media. I’m not referring to harmless myths, like carrots help you see in the dark or chocolate is an aphrodisiac. It’s the myths that have a bigger effect on our daily diet – and that often have a grain of truth to them – that seem to really take hold. When did you last hear that natural sugars are healthy, that it’s important to drink protein shakes if you exercise, or that bloating means you’re almost certainly gluten-intolerant? I studied nutrition at uni, so most of the time I can separate fact from fiction (though I’m not judging – I’m renown for believing everything friends tell me). Here are the myths I hear most often… ‘Carbs are bad’ I’ve been hearing this one for years, usually from people trying to lose weight, but often from friends just wanting to follow a healthy diet. There’s even some confusion about which foods are actually carbs. One friend declined bread with her soup for lunch recently because she was avoiding carbs, but then picked up a fizzy drink! (We’ve all been there – a member of the BBC Food team says she announced as a teenager “I’m not eating carbs any more”… whilst eating a wrap! Ed.) Carb control has many forms, whether it’s not eating them after a particular time of day, or ‘No carbs before Marbs’, a phrase coined by The Only Way is Essex, meaning no carbs in the days running up to a holiday or anywhere else a bikini might make an appearance. Do we really have to put ourselves through this? Everything about the three main types of carbs – sugar, starch and fibre – varies massively, from how they interact with your body to how they release sugar and other nutrients. Carbs are our main supply of energy. But it’s important to choose the ones that deliver other nutrients and fibre, including wholegrain carbs such as brown rice, bread and pasta and whole fruit and veg. Most of us don’t get the 30g of fibre per day recommended for adults by Public Health England. What’s all the fuss about fibre? It helps digestion and feeds the good bacteria living in the gut, so they can perform the multitude of functions that help your body. ‘Calories are all the same’ I’ve overheard many a conversation in which foods have been condensed down to their calorific content. Once foods become numbers, it seems people start to compare them. “It doesn’t make a difference if I eat a couple of cubes of milk chocolate or a banana if they’re the same number of calories”, I’ve heard. If two people consume the same number of calories in a day, one eating nutritious foods, the other snacking on junk foods, the impact on their bodies will be very different. Let’s take the chocolate and banana example. They might both add up to 90 calories, but the chocolate is likely to be high in fat, especially saturated fat which promotes an increase in cholesterol, and in sugar, which causes a blood-sugar spike followed by a crash that leaves you feeling hungry again. By comparison, the fibre in the banana helps to slow its release of sugar, allowing for a more gradual rise in blood sugar to leave you feel fuller for longer. Not to mention the extra vitamins and minerals in the banana. It’s important to think about nutrients rather than just calories, and to avoid calorie counting, which can have a negative impact on your relationship with food. ‘Natural sugar alternatives are healthy’ https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p08yz4lv.jpg Who doesn’t love a sweet treat? We all know eating too much sugar is bad for us, so it’s not surprising we convince ourselves natural sugar alternatives are healthy. “I put honey in my tea instead of refined sugar because it’s natural, so it’s better for me”, a friend told me. But the body still sees it as sugar. Agave syrup and maple syrup also often pop up in friends’ cupboards. Someone recently asked me if I had honey or agave syrup they could borrow, and when I said no, they asked for brown sugar instead. But brown sugar is made by adding molasses to white sugar. Some natural sugar alternatives may contain a couple more micronutrients than refined sugar, but they’re in such tiny quantities that there is little difference between them. They are still sugar The problem kicks in with breakfast cereals too. Honey often features high in the ingredients list for granola and cereal bars, yet they’re sold as a healthy option. The World Health Organisation recommends we limit our added sugar intake to below five percent of our recommended energy intake. That’s 6-7 teaspoons of added sugar per day, including what’s in fruit juices and readymade products. So it’s important to keep an eye on those labels. ‘You won’t get enough protein on a vegetarian diet’ I’ve often been offered a sneaky chicken nugget after a few drinks. “Surely you don’t get enough protein in your diet if you don’t eat meat or fish”, friends say. When I went vegan for a while, the advice went through the roof! But most vegetarians do get enough protein from foods such as dairy, eggs, pulses and nuts. It’s good to include a range of these sources in your diet, to ensure you get all the different proteins needed to build and repair cells. Proteins are made up of amino acids and there are nine the body can’t make, so they have to come from our diet. Animal protein sources, including dairy and eggs, contain all these amino acids, whereas plant sources don’t have the full set, so we pair them up into complementary proteins to provide them all. The famous coupling of beans on toast is a good example of this. But there are some micronutrients you are more likely to lack on a vegetarian diet, including vitamin B12 and iron. There are plenty of other places to find these two nutrients though – you can get B12 from milk and fortified breakfast cereals and iron from pulses and dark green vegetables. Maybe throw some kale on top of those beans on toast! ‘Eating a healthy diet is expensive’ It’s no myth that eating a healthy diet can be pricey, but it doesn’t have to be. I meet lots of people who blow their weekly food budget on ‘healthy’ readymeals and special ingredients such as vegan meat alternatives. Sometimes it helps to go back to basics, for example buying oats (to whip up into a cheap and cheerful morning porridge) instead of breakfast cereals, which are often full of sugar. Fruit and veg can be cheap – especially if you buy them frozen. Frozen spinach is my favourite, and you don’t get the disappointment of a big bag of fresh spinach wilting down to a tiny bundle. Tins of beans and legumes add cheap protein and fibre to a meal – swap meat for chickpeas in a curry or stew. Wholegrain foods cost little or no more than their refined alternatives too. ‘Freefrom products are always healthier’ “I’ll buy the freefrom biscuits, they’re healthier because they don’t contain milk or wheat”, I hear. Or “I’m getting the gluten-free pasta, as I’m avoiding gluten at the moment”, from people who have no issues with digestion. It’s understandable many people think of wheat and milk in a bad light, when a section of the supermarket is devoted to freefrom foods sold in green, natural-looking packaging, with a few plant graphics thrown in for good measure. It can lead us to think foods free-from wheat, gluten or milk must be healthier. But for most of us this is not true. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, and has picked up a bad rep. For people with a gluten intolerance – or for those with coeliac disease (an autoimmune disease) – it is the enemy, there to sabotage your well-being. Likewise, for those with a lactose intolerance it’s important to avoid milk, as lactose is the main sugar in milk. If you think you might have a food intolerance, allergy or autoimmune disease, it’s best to get checked out by your GP rather than putting your faith in an online test. Lottie Savage graduated with a BSc in Nutrition from the University of Leeds in 2020." }, "content_info": { "domain": "Food & Cooking", "subdomain": "Recipes" } }
{ "$oid": "68bace8aeb3bdbfd0cc00266" }	0231698f3d0044e07b5c23c3a3b8dc8eb6d4cab30f9693ffa20b7efb41d7b7a4	Nadiya: My tips for saving time and money in the kitchen Using your time and ingredients wisely is key, explains the celebrity chef… https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jpv3pr.jpg In Nadiya Hussain’s new BBC Two series Cook Once, Eat Twice the food star aims to help people to spend less money on food and less time in the kitchen by reducing food waste and cooking in more creative ways. “Lots of people have a desire to be more frugal and to cut down on their food waste, I’m really hopeful that the new series and cookbook [of the same name] will help guide people into that direction, because it becomes really addictive when you start trying to make something out of very little – trying not to waste food is really good fun!” Nadiya shares her top tips… 1. Free up time by batch cooking “I’ve always batch cooked; I don’t think I’d have been able to function if I didn’t. When my kids were much younger, I was a very active mum and always wanted to spend a lot of time with them – whether that was taking them out or doing activities in the house, so if I didn't batch cook or think ahead, I wouldn't have that time with them. “I still really value the time which batch cooking frees up and I batch cook now more than ever. The kids are older but they still need to eat! If I know I'm not going to be home for the next two days, I know there's dinner in the fridge for them.” “I make the same type of dishes as I did when the kids were little. My favourites are curries, lasagne, soup, bolognese, pies, chowders, all the classics.” 2. Cook multiple meals in one go This is great for saving time as well as using up the same ingredients in several dishes, says Nadiya. “If you are creating a dish and you think you're going to be in the kitchen for an hour while it cooks, then why not make another dish at the same time? Why don't you put on a curry or bolognese, which you can then divvy-up and pop into the freezer? Because if you're already in the kitchen and one stove is on, you might as well have the other stove on as well and cook two at the same time. That way, you've got dinner, but then you've also got portions of other meals cooked for later in the week, which will save you time.” 3. Get creative with food waste “Ingredients such as bread, bananas, milk and cheese are some of the most thrown away ingredients. But on the show, you’ll see fun ways of using them up.” “I really enjoy learning how to use up scraps of ingredients – so for example - the tops of strawberries that you would just throw out? You could heat up some vinegar, infuse the strawberry tops and make a delicious, sweet strawberry vinegar, which is so, so good in vinaigrettes. “You could even use garlic peel to make garlic salt – you just toast it in the oven and then mix it with salt, people wouldn't think garlic peel retains so much flavour, but it really does.” 4. Turn leftovers into brand-new dishes It’s not just about using up the odds and ends of ingredients though, says Nadiya. It’s about turning a leftover meal into a brand-new dish. “I love the joy that leftovers bring, because you don't have to eat the same thing twice. You can reinvent them. “There are so many ways you can make the most of your dishes – for example in the show and the book there’s a delicious peanut chicken and broccoli tray bake and then I show how you can take any leftovers and make a chicken noodle soup with them the following day. So, I think anyone who wants to really jazz up their leftovers will really enjoy the show. I’m hoping it will make people feel like they can be inventive.” 5. Don’t fear failure in the kitchen When you’re trying to produce recipes that use ingredient scraps or leftovers which would otherwise be destined for the food bin, don’t be afraid of failure, says Nadiya, because if it doesn’t work out then you’ll know what mistakes to avoid next time. “I'm the first to admit that I make mistakes all the time. I wouldn't be where I am if I didn't make mistakes. The whole point is to learn from them and know how to rectify them. And that has been a huge lesson for me. Even as far back as Bake Off, I had to make mistakes to know how to fix them in the tent. So that's why you practice, practice, practice.” So, says Nadiya, don’t be disheartened if those experimental dishes don’t quite work, you’ll be one step closer to getting the perfect dish next time and save more money in the future. 6. Always keep budget-friendly store cupboard staples in the freezer and cupboard If you’re turning your leftovers into something new, it will help to have some cheap ready-to-use ingredients on hand to bulk them up and add flavour without taking more of your time says Nadiya. “I love tinned ingredients, especially lentils because dried ones can take a long time to cook. The same applies to tinned potatoes and vegetables – I'm a huge fan because they are such a fast-track ingredient. The same goes for frozen veg, they’re also amazing time savers. “I also love tinned tomato soup, it’s a great base for both curries and bolognese – I use it all the time. “Other essentials are dried spices and herbs because they always come to life when they rehydrate in whatever it is that you're cooking them in.” 7. Storage is key If you’re cooking with leftovers, the key is to make sure they’re stored carefully so you can continue to enjoy them, says Nadiya. “Practise good food hygiene and make sure everything is cooled completely before you put it in the fridge.” And don’t be fooled into throwing away food because it’s reached its best before date. “I think people look at the best before date and think, ‘that's the day that I've got to chuck it away’. But ‘best before’ means just that, it's not going to be as good as it was, before it reached that date, but it’s still edible. Best before is different to ‘use by’,” explains Nadiya. 8. Don’t forget desserts The idea of ‘cook once eat twice’ isn’t just for main meals, you can batch cook desserts too. “Bakes are a good place to start, because they freeze well, as do brownies and of course, cookie dough is great to freeze too.” *Watch Nadiya’s Cook One Eat Twice, on BBC Two Tuesdays at 19.30, from 17 September or catch-up on iPlayer. Originally published September 2024	{ "data_info": { "lang": "en-GB", "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/nadiya_cook_once_eat_twice", "type": "HowTo", "processing_date": "2025-09-05T00:00:00", "delivery_version": "v1.0", "title": "Nadiya: My tips for saving time and money in the kitchen", "content": "Using your time and ingredients wisely is key, explains the celebrity chef… https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jpv3pr.jpg In Nadiya Hussain’s new BBC Two series Cook Once, Eat Twice the food star aims to help people to spend less money on food and less time in the kitchen by reducing food waste and cooking in more creative ways. “Lots of people have a desire to be more frugal and to cut down on their food waste, I’m really hopeful that the new series and cookbook [of the same name] will help guide people into that direction, because it becomes really addictive when you start trying to make something out of very little – trying not to waste food is really good fun!” Nadiya shares her top tips… 1. Free up time by batch cooking “I’ve always batch cooked; I don’t think I’d have been able to function if I didn’t. When my kids were much younger, I was a very active mum and always wanted to spend a lot of time with them – whether that was taking them out or doing activities in the house, so if I didn't batch cook or think ahead, I wouldn't have that time with them. “I still really value the time which batch cooking frees up and I batch cook now more than ever. The kids are older but they still need to eat! If I know I'm not going to be home for the next two days, I know there's dinner in the fridge for them.” “I make the same type of dishes as I did when the kids were little. My favourites are curries, lasagne, soup, bolognese, pies, chowders, all the classics.” 2. Cook multiple meals in one go This is great for saving time as well as using up the same ingredients in several dishes, says Nadiya. “If you are creating a dish and you think you're going to be in the kitchen for an hour while it cooks, then why not make another dish at the same time? Why don't you put on a curry or bolognese, which you can then divvy-up and pop into the freezer? Because if you're already in the kitchen and one stove is on, you might as well have the other stove on as well and cook two at the same time. That way, you've got dinner, but then you've also got portions of other meals cooked for later in the week, which will save you time.” 3. Get creative with food waste “Ingredients such as bread, bananas, milk and cheese are some of the most thrown away ingredients. But on the show, you’ll see fun ways of using them up.” “I really enjoy learning how to use up scraps of ingredients – so for example - the tops of strawberries that you would just throw out? You could heat up some vinegar, infuse the strawberry tops and make a delicious, sweet strawberry vinegar, which is so, so good in vinaigrettes. “You could even use garlic peel to make garlic salt – you just toast it in the oven and then mix it with salt, people wouldn't think garlic peel retains so much flavour, but it really does.” 4. Turn leftovers into brand-new dishes It’s not just about using up the odds and ends of ingredients though, says Nadiya. It’s about turning a leftover meal into a brand-new dish. “I love the joy that leftovers bring, because you don't have to eat the same thing twice. You can reinvent them. “There are so many ways you can make the most of your dishes – for example in the show and the book there’s a delicious peanut chicken and broccoli tray bake and then I show how you can take any leftovers and make a chicken noodle soup with them the following day. So, I think anyone who wants to really jazz up their leftovers will really enjoy the show. I’m hoping it will make people feel like they can be inventive.” 5. Don’t fear failure in the kitchen When you’re trying to produce recipes that use ingredient scraps or leftovers which would otherwise be destined for the food bin, don’t be afraid of failure, says Nadiya, because if it doesn’t work out then you’ll know what mistakes to avoid next time. “I'm the first to admit that I make mistakes all the time. I wouldn't be where I am if I didn't make mistakes. The whole point is to learn from them and know how to rectify them. And that has been a huge lesson for me. Even as far back as Bake Off, I had to make mistakes to know how to fix them in the tent. So that's why you practice, practice, practice.” So, says Nadiya, don’t be disheartened if those experimental dishes don’t quite work, you’ll be one step closer to getting the perfect dish next time and save more money in the future. 6. Always keep budget-friendly store cupboard staples in the freezer and cupboard If you’re turning your leftovers into something new, it will help to have some cheap ready-to-use ingredients on hand to bulk them up and add flavour without taking more of your time says Nadiya. “I love tinned ingredients, especially lentils because dried ones can take a long time to cook. The same applies to tinned potatoes and vegetables – I'm a huge fan because they are such a fast-track ingredient. The same goes for frozen veg, they’re also amazing time savers. “I also love tinned tomato soup, it’s a great base for both curries and bolognese – I use it all the time. “Other essentials are dried spices and herbs because they always come to life when they rehydrate in whatever it is that you're cooking them in.” 7. Storage is key If you’re cooking with leftovers, the key is to make sure they’re stored carefully so you can continue to enjoy them, says Nadiya. “Practise good food hygiene and make sure everything is cooled completely before you put it in the fridge.” And don’t be fooled into throwing away food because it’s reached its best before date. “I think people look at the best before date and think, ‘that's the day that I've got to chuck it away’. But ‘best before’ means just that, it's not going to be as good as it was, before it reached that date, but it’s still edible. Best before is different to ‘use by’,” explains Nadiya. 8. Don’t forget desserts The idea of ‘cook once eat twice’ isn’t just for main meals, you can batch cook desserts too. “Bakes are a good place to start, because they freeze well, as do brownies and of course, cookie dough is great to freeze too.” *Watch Nadiya’s Cook One Eat Twice, on BBC Two Tuesdays at 19.30, from 17 September or catch-up on iPlayer. Originally published September 2024" }, "content_info": { "domain": "Food & Cooking", "subdomain": "Recipes" } }
{ "$oid": "68bace8beb3bdbfd0cc00267" }	efc8d9e9245a935cd106da6d6aa2ca5a3dce4df33e5500d1601be128a7c25839	Genius hacks to kit out your student kitchen Cooking might not be the first thing on your mind when you arrive at uni, but with a teeny tiny bit of forward thinking you’ll have even more time for ‘activities’. No student wants to be washing pans, tending burns and cuts or spending hours preparing dinner when there’s so much merriment to be had elsewhere 🎉! Choose fun and food over slaving and scrubbing, with Rachel Ama’s, Rob Eades’ and Emerald Lewis’ cracking kitchen kit must-haves. It all sounds so simple once you’re in the know… What 3 bits of kitchen kit should you never be without? Watch our 1 minute video. The ESSENTIAL list for student kitchens Sharp knife for all your chopping needs. Sharp knife for all your chopping needs. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p07n4d5j.jpg Chopping board – maybe even two if you’re feeling meat health-and-safety conscious.Non-stick saucepan and frying pan with lids – you won’t regret it!Wooden spoons need no reasons.Peeler – not just for peeling! Makes light work of preparing carrots and courgettes for stir-fries and ribbons.Kitchen tongs – look cool and avoid burns while stir-frying and plating up. Winning.Spatula for flipping and turning as well as portioning up oven dishes such as lasagne and pie.Microwaveable mug to make cakes, breakfast eggs, even lasagne in minutes!Glass for drinking or cutting cookies without special kit.Plastic containers for packed lunches and meal prep.A tin opener allows you to buy the cheaper cans without the ring pulls. Your future self will thank you.Colander or sieve to drain pasta, potatoes, rice and more without risk of burning yourself by using the lid.Baking trays are essential for roasts, bakes and less washing up! Choose a variety of depths if you’ve got the space and money.Oven gloves keep your lovely hands safe.A cheese grater is also good for prepping veg for slaws, soups and sauces and makes light work of garlic and ginger.A mixing bowl will be your new best friend! Make cakes, beat eggs, soak pulses, marinade food, the list is endless…Tin foil stands in for a lid if you lose it and covers plates of leftovers.Weighing scales will help you minimise food waste and bake better… or at all. Chopping board – maybe even two if you’re feeling meat health-and-safety conscious. Chopping board – maybe even two if you’re feeling meat health-and-safety conscious. Non-stick saucepan and frying pan with lids – you won’t regret it! Non-stick saucepan and frying pan with lids – you won’t regret it! Wooden spoons need no reasons. Wooden spoons need no reasons. Peeler – not just for peeling! Makes light work of preparing carrots and courgettes for stir-fries and ribbons. Peeler – not just for peeling! Makes light work of preparing carrots and courgettes for stir-fries and ribbons. Kitchen tongs – look cool and avoid burns while stir-frying and plating up. Winning. Kitchen tongs – look cool and avoid burns while stir-frying and plating up. Winning. Spatula for flipping and turning as well as portioning up oven dishes such as lasagne and pie. Spatula for flipping and turning as well as portioning up oven dishes such as lasagne and pie. Microwaveable mug to make cakes, breakfast eggs, even lasagne in minutes! Microwaveable mug to make cakes, breakfast eggs, even lasagne in minutes! Glass for drinking or cutting cookies without special kit. Glass for drinking or cutting cookies without special kit. Plastic containers for packed lunches and meal prep. Plastic containers for packed lunches and meal prep. A tin opener allows you to buy the cheaper cans without the ring pulls. Your future self will thank you. A tin opener allows you to buy the cheaper cans without the ring pulls. Your future self will thank you. Colander or sieve to drain pasta, potatoes, rice and more without risk of burning yourself by using the lid. Colander or sieve to drain pasta, potatoes, rice and more without risk of burning yourself by using the lid. Baking trays are essential for roasts, bakes and less washing up! Choose a variety of depths if you’ve got the space and money. Baking trays are essential for roasts, bakes and less washing up! Choose a variety of depths if you’ve got the space and money. Oven gloves keep your lovely hands safe. Oven gloves keep your lovely hands safe. A cheese grater is also good for prepping veg for slaws, soups and sauces and makes light work of garlic and ginger. A cheese grater is also good for prepping veg for slaws, soups and sauces and makes light work of garlic and ginger. A mixing bowl will be your new best friend! Make cakes, beat eggs, soak pulses, marinade food, the list is endless… A mixing bowl will be your new best friend! Make cakes, beat eggs, soak pulses, marinade food, the list is endless… Tin foil stands in for a lid if you lose it and covers plates of leftovers. Tin foil stands in for a lid if you lose it and covers plates of leftovers. Weighing scales will help you minimise food waste and bake better… or at all. Weighing scales will help you minimise food waste and bake better… or at all.	{ "data_info": { "lang": "en-GB", "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/student_kitchen_kit", "type": "HowTo", "processing_date": "2025-09-05T00:00:00", "delivery_version": "v1.0", "title": "Genius hacks to kit out your student kitchen", "content": "Cooking might not be the first thing on your mind when you arrive at uni, but with a teeny tiny bit of forward thinking you’ll have even more time for ‘activities’. No student wants to be washing pans, tending burns and cuts or spending hours preparing dinner when there’s so much merriment to be had elsewhere 🎉! Choose fun and food over slaving and scrubbing, with Rachel Ama’s, Rob Eades’ and Emerald Lewis’ cracking kitchen kit must-haves. It all sounds so simple once you’re in the know… What 3 bits of kitchen kit should you never be without? Watch our 1 minute video. The ESSENTIAL list for student kitchens Sharp knife for all your chopping needs. Sharp knife for all your chopping needs. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p07n4d5j.jpg Chopping board – maybe even two if you’re feeling meat health-and-safety conscious.Non-stick saucepan and frying pan with lids – you won’t regret it!Wooden spoons need no reasons.Peeler – not just for peeling! Makes light work of preparing carrots and courgettes for stir-fries and ribbons.Kitchen tongs – look cool and avoid burns while stir-frying and plating up. Winning.Spatula for flipping and turning as well as portioning up oven dishes such as lasagne and pie.Microwaveable mug to make cakes, breakfast eggs, even lasagne in minutes!Glass for drinking or cutting cookies without special kit.Plastic containers for packed lunches and meal prep.A tin opener allows you to buy the cheaper cans without the ring pulls. Your future self will thank you.Colander or sieve to drain pasta, potatoes, rice and more without risk of burning yourself by using the lid.Baking trays are essential for roasts, bakes and less washing up! Choose a variety of depths if you’ve got the space and money.Oven gloves keep your lovely hands safe.A cheese grater is also good for prepping veg for slaws, soups and sauces and makes light work of garlic and ginger.A mixing bowl will be your new best friend! Make cakes, beat eggs, soak pulses, marinade food, the list is endless…Tin foil stands in for a lid if you lose it and covers plates of leftovers.Weighing scales will help you minimise food waste and bake better… or at all. Chopping board – maybe even two if you’re feeling meat health-and-safety conscious. Chopping board – maybe even two if you’re feeling meat health-and-safety conscious. Non-stick saucepan and frying pan with lids – you won’t regret it! Non-stick saucepan and frying pan with lids – you won’t regret it! Wooden spoons need no reasons. Wooden spoons need no reasons. Peeler – not just for peeling! Makes light work of preparing carrots and courgettes for stir-fries and ribbons. Peeler – not just for peeling! Makes light work of preparing carrots and courgettes for stir-fries and ribbons. Kitchen tongs – look cool and avoid burns while stir-frying and plating up. Winning. Kitchen tongs – look cool and avoid burns while stir-frying and plating up. Winning. Spatula for flipping and turning as well as portioning up oven dishes such as lasagne and pie. Spatula for flipping and turning as well as portioning up oven dishes such as lasagne and pie. Microwaveable mug to make cakes, breakfast eggs, even lasagne in minutes! Microwaveable mug to make cakes, breakfast eggs, even lasagne in minutes! Glass for drinking or cutting cookies without special kit. Glass for drinking or cutting cookies without special kit. Plastic containers for packed lunches and meal prep. Plastic containers for packed lunches and meal prep. A tin opener allows you to buy the cheaper cans without the ring pulls. Your future self will thank you. A tin opener allows you to buy the cheaper cans without the ring pulls. Your future self will thank you. Colander or sieve to drain pasta, potatoes, rice and more without risk of burning yourself by using the lid. Colander or sieve to drain pasta, potatoes, rice and more without risk of burning yourself by using the lid. Baking trays are essential for roasts, bakes and less washing up! Choose a variety of depths if you’ve got the space and money. Baking trays are essential for roasts, bakes and less washing up! Choose a variety of depths if you’ve got the space and money. Oven gloves keep your lovely hands safe. Oven gloves keep your lovely hands safe. A cheese grater is also good for prepping veg for slaws, soups and sauces and makes light work of garlic and ginger. A cheese grater is also good for prepping veg for slaws, soups and sauces and makes light work of garlic and ginger. A mixing bowl will be your new best friend! Make cakes, beat eggs, soak pulses, marinade food, the list is endless… A mixing bowl will be your new best friend! Make cakes, beat eggs, soak pulses, marinade food, the list is endless… Tin foil stands in for a lid if you lose it and covers plates of leftovers. Tin foil stands in for a lid if you lose it and covers plates of leftovers. Weighing scales will help you minimise food waste and bake better… or at all. Weighing scales will help you minimise food waste and bake better… or at all." }, "content_info": { "domain": "Food & Cooking", "subdomain": "Recipes" } }
{ "$oid": "68bace8beb3bdbfd0cc00268" }	d2f16e2aebaf09e9e7593168632a61b1407d35931e6bff71ecc202d28b73f380	How quickly can you improve your gut bacteria? Having healthy, diverse bacteria in your gut is linked to many health benefits, including improving immune function, and lower incidence of heart disease, diabetes, asthma, depression, irritable bowel syndrome, and some allergies. But how quickly can your improve your microbiome? https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p09fxrrm.jpg Our microbiome is made up of trillions of cells, including bacteria, viruses and fungi, and the largest community of these is in the gut. In fact, there are more bacterial cells than human cells in the body. “Good gut health is linked to the health of pretty much every other organ”, says Dr Megan Rossi, AKA the Gut Health Doctor. The British Dietetic Association lists important reasons why our microbiome helps us, including that gut bacteria has a role in digesting food, in particular breaking down fibre, and absorbing nutrients. The bacteria produce several vitamins, including folate, B2, B12 and vitamin K. They also produce short-chain fatty acids, which may reduce inflammation, protect against colon disorders, and lower cholesterol and blood-sugar levels. They stimulate infection-fighting cells in the blood stream, too. How quickly can you improve your gut bacteria? “We have the ability to shape our gut microbiome simply by how we treat it, and targeting our diet is one of the most effective ways to boost our microbiome diversity”, says Rossi. While some research suggests you can make alterations to your gut microbes within days (for better or worse), this could depend on a number of factors, including how drastic the changes you make to your diet and lifestyle are. Long-term benefits may take several months to show, and the same research found gut microbes can return to their original make-up if you return to a less beneficial diet. “It requires regular and routine support to maintain long-term changes and benefits”, says clinician-scientist Dr Sunni Patel. Everyone’s gut bacteria is very different (unrelated people reportedly share no more than 30 percent of the same bacterial strains), so “it can be very individualised in terms of how long it takes for changes to take effect”, says Rossi. What should you eat to improve your gut bacteria? https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p09fxrsz.jpg Every person is different, but if you want to improve your microbiome, some broad principles apply to all. Eat a wide and varied range of plant-based foods. “I recommend aiming for 30 ‘plant points’ every week”, says Rossi, which means eating 30 different plants. These should include fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, legumes, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices. A healthy gut has a diverse community of microbes, each of which prefers different foods, so the more variety in your diet, the more diverse bacteria will thrive in your gut. Eat more fibre. Most people eat less than they should. Fruit, vegetables, pulses, nuts and wholegrains feed healthy bacteria, which ferment the fibre and in the process produce substances thought to be “protective”, such as short-chain fatty acids. We are advised to eat at least 30g of fibre per day, but increasing fibre intake by as little as 6g a day (the amount in a bowl of high-fibre breakfast cereal or 2 thick slices of wholemeal bread) has been found to have an effect on gut bacteria. If your diet is low in fibre, a sudden increase can cause wind and bloating, so make gradual changes and drink extra water. Avoid highly processed foods. They often contain ingredients that either suppress ‘good’ bacteria or increase ‘bad’ bacteria. Probiotic foods – live bacteria found in fermented foods such as yoghurt, kimchi and sauerkraut – might encourage more microbes to grow. Eat them if you enjoy them. Find out how to make ferments on BBC Food. Choose extra-virgin olive oil over other fats when you can. It contains the highest number of microbe-friendly polyphenols. Antibiotics kill ‘good’ bacteria as well as ‘bad’. If you need antibiotics, make sure you eat lots of foods that boost your microbes afterwards. How does lifestyle affect gut bacteria? Sleep deprivation, even partial, has been shown to impact your microbiome. Establishing a routine and avoiding caffeine and alcohol in the evening can help you get a good night’s sleep. Managing stress levels and regular exercise are also key to a healthy microbiome, according to Rossi. How do you know if you have a healthy gut? “This has to be the most common question I get asked in my clinic and on social media, and it’s one I can never give a simple answer to”, says Rossi, adding that there’s no single measure to assess gut health. She does not recommend commercial gut microbiome testing kits. To establish a client’s likelihood of having a diverse microbiome, she asks them questions about their plant intake, sleep quality, stress levels and exercise pattern. Your gut microbiota changes as you age, but a review suggests it is not clear if these changes are due to physiological changes, age-associated inflammation, gradual deterioration of the immune system, diet, medications, or chronic health conditions. “Taking time for your gut will be a worthy investment”, says Patel, adding “you can never be too young or too old to ensure you are improving your microbiome”. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0658169.png	{ "data_info": { "lang": "en-GB", "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/gut_bacteria", "type": "HowTo", "processing_date": "2025-09-05T00:00:00", "delivery_version": "v1.0", "title": "How quickly can you improve your gut bacteria?", "content": "Having healthy, diverse bacteria in your gut is linked to many health benefits, including improving immune function, and lower incidence of heart disease, diabetes, asthma, depression, irritable bowel syndrome, and some allergies. But how quickly can your improve your microbiome? https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p09fxrrm.jpg Our microbiome is made up of trillions of cells, including bacteria, viruses and fungi, and the largest community of these is in the gut. In fact, there are more bacterial cells than human cells in the body. “Good gut health is linked to the health of pretty much every other organ”, says Dr Megan Rossi, AKA the Gut Health Doctor. The British Dietetic Association lists important reasons why our microbiome helps us, including that gut bacteria has a role in digesting food, in particular breaking down fibre, and absorbing nutrients. The bacteria produce several vitamins, including folate, B2, B12 and vitamin K. They also produce short-chain fatty acids, which may reduce inflammation, protect against colon disorders, and lower cholesterol and blood-sugar levels. They stimulate infection-fighting cells in the blood stream, too. How quickly can you improve your gut bacteria? “We have the ability to shape our gut microbiome simply by how we treat it, and targeting our diet is one of the most effective ways to boost our microbiome diversity”, says Rossi. While some research suggests you can make alterations to your gut microbes within days (for better or worse), this could depend on a number of factors, including how drastic the changes you make to your diet and lifestyle are. Long-term benefits may take several months to show, and the same research found gut microbes can return to their original make-up if you return to a less beneficial diet. “It requires regular and routine support to maintain long-term changes and benefits”, says clinician-scientist Dr Sunni Patel. Everyone’s gut bacteria is very different (unrelated people reportedly share no more than 30 percent of the same bacterial strains), so “it can be very individualised in terms of how long it takes for changes to take effect”, says Rossi. What should you eat to improve your gut bacteria? https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p09fxrsz.jpg Every person is different, but if you want to improve your microbiome, some broad principles apply to all. Eat a wide and varied range of plant-based foods. “I recommend aiming for 30 ‘plant points’ every week”, says Rossi, which means eating 30 different plants. These should include fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, legumes, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices. A healthy gut has a diverse community of microbes, each of which prefers different foods, so the more variety in your diet, the more diverse bacteria will thrive in your gut. Eat more fibre. Most people eat less than they should. Fruit, vegetables, pulses, nuts and wholegrains feed healthy bacteria, which ferment the fibre and in the process produce substances thought to be “protective”, such as short-chain fatty acids. We are advised to eat at least 30g of fibre per day, but increasing fibre intake by as little as 6g a day (the amount in a bowl of high-fibre breakfast cereal or 2 thick slices of wholemeal bread) has been found to have an effect on gut bacteria. If your diet is low in fibre, a sudden increase can cause wind and bloating, so make gradual changes and drink extra water. Avoid highly processed foods. They often contain ingredients that either suppress ‘good’ bacteria or increase ‘bad’ bacteria. Probiotic foods – live bacteria found in fermented foods such as yoghurt, kimchi and sauerkraut – might encourage more microbes to grow. Eat them if you enjoy them. Find out how to make ferments on BBC Food. Choose extra-virgin olive oil over other fats when you can. It contains the highest number of microbe-friendly polyphenols. Antibiotics kill ‘good’ bacteria as well as ‘bad’. If you need antibiotics, make sure you eat lots of foods that boost your microbes afterwards. How does lifestyle affect gut bacteria? Sleep deprivation, even partial, has been shown to impact your microbiome. Establishing a routine and avoiding caffeine and alcohol in the evening can help you get a good night’s sleep. Managing stress levels and regular exercise are also key to a healthy microbiome, according to Rossi. How do you know if you have a healthy gut? “This has to be the most common question I get asked in my clinic and on social media, and it’s one I can never give a simple answer to”, says Rossi, adding that there’s no single measure to assess gut health. She does not recommend commercial gut microbiome testing kits. To establish a client’s likelihood of having a diverse microbiome, she asks them questions about their plant intake, sleep quality, stress levels and exercise pattern. Your gut microbiota changes as you age, but a review suggests it is not clear if these changes are due to physiological changes, age-associated inflammation, gradual deterioration of the immune system, diet, medications, or chronic health conditions. “Taking time for your gut will be a worthy investment”, says Patel, adding “you can never be too young or too old to ensure you are improving your microbiome”. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0658169.png" }, "content_info": { "domain": "Food & Cooking", "subdomain": "Recipes" } }
{ "$oid": "68bace8ceb3bdbfd0cc00269" }	fc8972dd7d86f4ff6a36301fb7bcfc9bdce2814666fd12d20cdc02608943920e	Polyphenols explained, including the best food sources They’re linked to numerous health benefits. But which foods are rich in polyphenols, and what foods are they found in? By Jessica Bradley https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jk9j7c.jpg How do polyphenols benefit our health? There’s growing evidence that polyphenols could help to prevent a range of chronic conditions, says Daniele Del Rio, professor of human nutrition at the University of Parma in Italy. This includes lower risks of developing cardiovascular, metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s. There is also research to show that polyphenols reduce inflammation in the body, which is a risk factor for heart disease. In one study, participants who reported having the most polyphenol-rich diets had a 46% lower risk of developing heart disease than those who reported consuming the lowest amount of polyphenols. Which foods are high in polyphenols? Polyphenols are ubiquitous in the plant kingdom, says Del Rio. You’ll find them in: Fruit: Especially darkly-coloured berries including blackcurrants, blueberries, blackberries and elderberries. Vegetables: Red onions, red chicory, globe artichoke heads and olives (we appreciate technically olives are a fruit) are said to be particularly high Nuts with their skin on: Especially chestnuts, almonds, pecans and hazelnuts Tea: Both green and black Cocoa: Including dark chocolate Dried herbs, spices and seeds: Including flaxseed, cloves, oregano, thyme and rosemary. While herbs and spices have a very high concentration of polyphenols, Del Rio points out we eat a much smaller quantity of these compared to fruit and vegetables. Extra virgin olive oil is also a good source of polyphenols as is tempeh. Red wine is also a rich polyphenol source – although Del Rio advises against increasing your red wine consumption or relying on this as your main source of polyphenols! How many polyphenols should we consume? There is no recommended daily intake of polyphenols because they’re not classed as ‘essential’ for human development and growth. “However, many research groups are working to prove that a sufficient amount of scientific evidence now supports a dietary recommendation for some specific subclasses of polyphenols,” says Del Rio. One thing that has been well established, he adds, is that we all metabolise and absorb polyphenols differently. “There are very clear and characterised differences among individuals in how they access specific phenolic metabolites within their bodies after consuming the same source.” How to cook and eat polyphenol-rich foods Want to get your fill of polyphenols in the tastiest way as possible? Here’s how… Go off the boil Polyphenols are generally stable at high temperatures, so significant amounts remain in vegetables that have been cooked. “However,” Del Rio adds, “One significant exception is boiled vegetables, where some of the phenolics are lost in the water if the water is not used for other preparations within the meal.” Bearing that in mind, you could either steam the veg, or just make sure you use the water within the dishes – for example in a stew or soup. Use the whole plant There are many fruit and veg that we unnecessarily get rid of the skin, peel, or roots of. But polyphenols are found in all parts of plants, especially the peel, so there’s another reason (in addition to avoiding food waste) to use those frequently-thrown out odds and ends. Celery leaves feature in this Hairy Bikers’ recipe for Waldorf salad with grilled mackerel “You don’t need to peel onions to use them in home-made stock/bone broth. The skin has flavour, too,” says Wright. And you don’t need to throw out potato skins if you’re making mash. “The skins taste great oven-roasted with sea salt and olive oil until they are crisp. If using the mash on a shepherd’s or cottage pie, put these crispy skins on top,” she says. But there are some parts of some plants we should avoid, such as rhubarb leaves, as they’re poisonous and green potato peels, as they can cause an upset stomach. Always add herbs and spices to your dishes There are many ways to maximise polyphenol-rich herbs in our diets, too. Wright recommends adding herbs to salads. “A burst of basil or chervil among mixed [salad leaves wakes up the taste-buds. “You can also use herb oils to drizzle on fish, chicken and roasted meats, or herb butter for the freezer for the next time you’re making garlic bread,” she says. Stock up and try new things Keeley Haworth, chef and co-founder of London restaurant Plates, advises stocking up on spices and nuts.“Once you have an assortment of nuts in the cupboard they can be sprinkled and grated over so many dishes for added flavour and texture. Forget any rules and try different combos,” she says. “Spiced nuts are even better adding more polyphenols, roast or pan fry with your favourite spices and then snack on them, add to salads or use a pestle and mortar for a finer texture and then top over curries, noodles, stir fries and sprinkle over your veggies too.” Haworth also advises adding tempeh to your diet.“Tempeh is a powerhouse food in the plant-based world; it’s packed with protein, minerals and polyphenols and the fact that it’s fermented means that it is great for our gut health too.” Originally published August 2024	{ "data_info": { "lang": "en-GB", "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/polyphenols", "type": "HowTo", "processing_date": "2025-09-05T00:00:00", "delivery_version": "v1.0", "title": "Polyphenols explained, including the best food sources", "content": "They’re linked to numerous health benefits. But which foods are rich in polyphenols, and what foods are they found in? By Jessica Bradley https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jk9j7c.jpg How do polyphenols benefit our health? There’s growing evidence that polyphenols could help to prevent a range of chronic conditions, says Daniele Del Rio, professor of human nutrition at the University of Parma in Italy. This includes lower risks of developing cardiovascular, metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s. There is also research to show that polyphenols reduce inflammation in the body, which is a risk factor for heart disease. In one study, participants who reported having the most polyphenol-rich diets had a 46% lower risk of developing heart disease than those who reported consuming the lowest amount of polyphenols. Which foods are high in polyphenols? Polyphenols are ubiquitous in the plant kingdom, says Del Rio. You’ll find them in: Fruit: Especially darkly-coloured berries including blackcurrants, blueberries, blackberries and elderberries. Vegetables: Red onions, red chicory, globe artichoke heads and olives (we appreciate technically olives are a fruit) are said to be particularly high Nuts with their skin on: Especially chestnuts, almonds, pecans and hazelnuts Tea: Both green and black Cocoa: Including dark chocolate Dried herbs, spices and seeds: Including flaxseed, cloves, oregano, thyme and rosemary. While herbs and spices have a very high concentration of polyphenols, Del Rio points out we eat a much smaller quantity of these compared to fruit and vegetables. Extra virgin olive oil is also a good source of polyphenols as is tempeh. Red wine is also a rich polyphenol source – although Del Rio advises against increasing your red wine consumption or relying on this as your main source of polyphenols! How many polyphenols should we consume? There is no recommended daily intake of polyphenols because they’re not classed as ‘essential’ for human development and growth. “However, many research groups are working to prove that a sufficient amount of scientific evidence now supports a dietary recommendation for some specific subclasses of polyphenols,” says Del Rio. One thing that has been well established, he adds, is that we all metabolise and absorb polyphenols differently. “There are very clear and characterised differences among individuals in how they access specific phenolic metabolites within their bodies after consuming the same source.” How to cook and eat polyphenol-rich foods Want to get your fill of polyphenols in the tastiest way as possible? Here’s how… Go off the boil Polyphenols are generally stable at high temperatures, so significant amounts remain in vegetables that have been cooked. “However,” Del Rio adds, “One significant exception is boiled vegetables, where some of the phenolics are lost in the water if the water is not used for other preparations within the meal.” Bearing that in mind, you could either steam the veg, or just make sure you use the water within the dishes – for example in a stew or soup. Use the whole plant There are many fruit and veg that we unnecessarily get rid of the skin, peel, or roots of. But polyphenols are found in all parts of plants, especially the peel, so there’s another reason (in addition to avoiding food waste) to use those frequently-thrown out odds and ends. Celery leaves feature in this Hairy Bikers’ recipe for Waldorf salad with grilled mackerel “You don’t need to peel onions to use them in home-made stock/bone broth. The skin has flavour, too,” says Wright. And you don’t need to throw out potato skins if you’re making mash. “The skins taste great oven-roasted with sea salt and olive oil until they are crisp. If using the mash on a shepherd’s or cottage pie, put these crispy skins on top,” she says. But there are some parts of some plants we should avoid, such as rhubarb leaves, as they’re poisonous and green potato peels, as they can cause an upset stomach. Always add herbs and spices to your dishes There are many ways to maximise polyphenol-rich herbs in our diets, too. Wright recommends adding herbs to salads. “A burst of basil or chervil among mixed [salad leaves wakes up the taste-buds. “You can also use herb oils to drizzle on fish, chicken and roasted meats, or herb butter for the freezer for the next time you’re making garlic bread,” she says. Stock up and try new things Keeley Haworth, chef and co-founder of London restaurant Plates, advises stocking up on spices and nuts.“Once you have an assortment of nuts in the cupboard they can be sprinkled and grated over so many dishes for added flavour and texture. Forget any rules and try different combos,” she says. “Spiced nuts are even better adding more polyphenols, roast or pan fry with your favourite spices and then snack on them, add to salads or use a pestle and mortar for a finer texture and then top over curries, noodles, stir fries and sprinkle over your veggies too.” Haworth also advises adding tempeh to your diet.“Tempeh is a powerhouse food in the plant-based world; it’s packed with protein, minerals and polyphenols and the fact that it’s fermented means that it is great for our gut health too.” Originally published August 2024" }, "content_info": { "domain": "Food & Cooking", "subdomain": "Recipes" } }
{ "$oid": "68bace8ceb3bdbfd0cc0026a" }	a20a85ba118606e484985aef05b274d06538bc171e6760d7e91391a288d7cac1	Why do alcohol and caffeine make us feel worse as we get older? If your hangovers or coffee jitters are becoming worse as you age, you’re not alone. Here’s why… https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jl9m2v.jpg When you’re in your 20s, you probably wouldn’t give drinking a few glasses of wine or cups of coffee a second thought. But, as the years roll on, the idea of doing this regularly becomes less attractive. As the effects on the body are felt more keenly. Why is it that as we age, we feel the negative effects of alcohol and caffeine more? Here’s what the experts say… Our liver isn’t as good at processing alcohol and caffeine “Just for the record, drinking excessively, exceeding guidelines and binge drinking are not good at any age!” says dietitian and BDA spokesperson, Clare Thornton-Wood. “Alcohol and caffeine are metabolised in the liver,” she continues. “As we age our liver becomes less efficient at this, there’s less enzymes and less efficient enzymes to breakdown and metabolise them both. “So the alcohol is metabolised at a slower rate, therefore spending more time in the body and with more chance of a hangover. “It’s the same for caffeine it’s not cleared from the bloodstream as quickly as we get older, so its effects – such as being alert will stick around for longer.” Muscle loss leads to dehydration and hangovers “Body composition changes as we age,” says Thornton-Wood. “We lose muscle and gain fat – muscle is about 75% water but fat can be as low as 10% water. So the amount of water in the body is less as we get older, which in turn means the alcohol is absorbed more quickly. “If you have lower water levels to start with, you’re increasing the risk of dehydration, which is also caused by drinking alcohol and causes symptoms such as headaches. A hangover is likely to ensue from a smaller amount of alcohol when older versus younger.” Non-alcoholic cocktails can make a great alternative to alcohol Alcohol and caffeine affect sleep Disturbed sleep is an unfortunate side-effect of aging. So, what doesn’t help? Alcohol and coffee, which also disrupt sleep. “Our REM (rapid eye movement) sleep decreases after drinking - we need adequate REM sleep for good mental health, concentration and memory. As we get older we can experience issues with sleep which are exacerbated by alcohol.” But what about coffee? “Caffeine is a stimulant so makes you feel more awake and focussed,” adds Thornton-Wood. “Caffeine blocks adenosine receptors which promote sleep, which then increases production of dopamine, noradrenaline and glutamate - these are all neurotransmitters that play a role in cognitive function. So, you feel more alert and your blood pressure and heart rate increases [when you drink coffee]. “In the right circumstances this can be very useful. However too much and you can feel jittery, have trouble sleeping and feel anxious.” Both drinks are diuretics too, which means you might be kept up at night with the need to go to the toilet, says Thornton-Wood. Your stomach’s not quite what it was Does drinking a few glasses of wine or cups of coffee now lead to acid reflux? It’s not that uncommon. “If you are predisposed to acid reflux or you’re older then it’s more likely your stomach will be easily irritated when you drink alcohol, with some studies saying it can see you produce more stomach acid. In addition, “as we age our muscles weaken, this includes the sphincter at the top of the stomach - which if not closed leads to acid flowing back up from the stomach into the oesophagus and causing heartburn.” Alcohol and coffee both relax the sphincter muscle, causing further issues with heartburn. Genetics It might not be your age that’s affecting your ability to enjoy coffee but other factors, some which are set in stone and others which change over time. The University of Bath carried out research investigating how consuming coffee following a night of poor sleep could disrupt your blood sugar levels and impact your metabolism. While age didn’t seem to affect this, lead researcher, Harry Smith, explains some people have a single mutation in one of the genes involved in caffeine metabolism, which could influence how long caffeine stays in your system. “CYP1A2 is the main enzyme responsible for caffeine clearance that results in ‘fast’ and ‘slow’ metaboliser categories. [A mutation] could be why some people are able to have more than five cups without consequence whereas others can only manage one per day [without side effects]. “The half-life for caffeine clearance can range from 1.5 – 9.5 hours!” says Smith. If you’re at the higher-end of that, then clearly, having a coffee later in the day could cause you problems when trying to sleep or if you’re already feeling anxious. Other factors “As with all things metabolism though, I doubt this is the only thing that causes differences in how we tolerate caffeine. Some of the other proposed differences include sex and body composition and there are also behavioural factors that can influence caffeine metabolism like smoking and diet,” says Smith. “There are also links with bodyweight, heaver people generally tolerate more caffeine,” says Thornton-Wood. Also, if you’re going through a stressful or anxious period, coffee might not be your best friend, says Thornton-Wood. “If you already suffer with anxiety then caffeine is likely to exacerbate this. In fact, there’s a recognised ‘caffeine induced anxiety’ disorder.” So, if you’re feeling shaky after your usual cup of joe, consider whether you’re stressed. Drink responsibly When it comes to alcohol, the NHS advises men and women not to drink more than 14 units per week on a regular basis. These units should be spread over 3 or more days. 14 units is equivalent to 6 pints of average-strength beer or 10 small glasses of lower-strength wine. Want to keep the effects of alcohol to a minimum without cutting it out completely? “It’s about moderation, know your limits, intersperse with water or have spritzers, lower alcoholic content drinks,” says Thornton-Wood. When it comes to coffee, the NHS advises that we “drink caffeine in moderation – some people are more sensitive to caffeine than others, depending on how much they drink and how often.” They also advise that people should drink no more than 200mg per day in pregnancy. In terms of ways to reduce your caffeine intake, here are Thorton-Wood’s suggestions, “Intersperse coffee with water or decaf and leave longer spaces between cups. Consider the caffeine strength too. There are differences between various coffee chains and ground coffee is always higher in caffeine than instant.” It’s also worth considering how you’re feeling prior to drinking alcohol or caffeine as both could exacerbate existing conditions. “If you already suffer with anxiety then caffeine is likely to exacerbate this. In fact, there’s a recognised ‘caffeine induced anxiety’ disorder,” says Thornton-Wood. Likewise, alcohol can cause similar issues. If you are concerned about alcohol addiction, help and support is available. Originally published August 2024	{ "data_info": { "lang": "en-GB", "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/coffee_alcohol_older", "type": "HowTo", "processing_date": "2025-09-05T00:00:00", "delivery_version": "v1.0", "title": "Why do alcohol and caffeine make us feel worse as we get older?", "content": "If your hangovers or coffee jitters are becoming worse as you age, you’re not alone. Here’s why… https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jl9m2v.jpg When you’re in your 20s, you probably wouldn’t give drinking a few glasses of wine or cups of coffee a second thought. But, as the years roll on, the idea of doing this regularly becomes less attractive. As the effects on the body are felt more keenly. Why is it that as we age, we feel the negative effects of alcohol and caffeine more? Here’s what the experts say… Our liver isn’t as good at processing alcohol and caffeine “Just for the record, drinking excessively, exceeding guidelines and binge drinking are not good at any age!” says dietitian and BDA spokesperson, Clare Thornton-Wood. “Alcohol and caffeine are metabolised in the liver,” she continues. “As we age our liver becomes less efficient at this, there’s less enzymes and less efficient enzymes to breakdown and metabolise them both. “So the alcohol is metabolised at a slower rate, therefore spending more time in the body and with more chance of a hangover. “It’s the same for caffeine it’s not cleared from the bloodstream as quickly as we get older, so its effects – such as being alert will stick around for longer.” Muscle loss leads to dehydration and hangovers “Body composition changes as we age,” says Thornton-Wood. “We lose muscle and gain fat – muscle is about 75% water but fat can be as low as 10% water. So the amount of water in the body is less as we get older, which in turn means the alcohol is absorbed more quickly. “If you have lower water levels to start with, you’re increasing the risk of dehydration, which is also caused by drinking alcohol and causes symptoms such as headaches. A hangover is likely to ensue from a smaller amount of alcohol when older versus younger.” Non-alcoholic cocktails can make a great alternative to alcohol Alcohol and caffeine affect sleep Disturbed sleep is an unfortunate side-effect of aging. So, what doesn’t help? Alcohol and coffee, which also disrupt sleep. “Our REM (rapid eye movement) sleep decreases after drinking - we need adequate REM sleep for good mental health, concentration and memory. As we get older we can experience issues with sleep which are exacerbated by alcohol.” But what about coffee? “Caffeine is a stimulant so makes you feel more awake and focussed,” adds Thornton-Wood. “Caffeine blocks adenosine receptors which promote sleep, which then increases production of dopamine, noradrenaline and glutamate - these are all neurotransmitters that play a role in cognitive function. So, you feel more alert and your blood pressure and heart rate increases [when you drink coffee]. “In the right circumstances this can be very useful. However too much and you can feel jittery, have trouble sleeping and feel anxious.” Both drinks are diuretics too, which means you might be kept up at night with the need to go to the toilet, says Thornton-Wood. Your stomach’s not quite what it was Does drinking a few glasses of wine or cups of coffee now lead to acid reflux? It’s not that uncommon. “If you are predisposed to acid reflux or you’re older then it’s more likely your stomach will be easily irritated when you drink alcohol, with some studies saying it can see you produce more stomach acid. In addition, “as we age our muscles weaken, this includes the sphincter at the top of the stomach - which if not closed leads to acid flowing back up from the stomach into the oesophagus and causing heartburn.” Alcohol and coffee both relax the sphincter muscle, causing further issues with heartburn. Genetics It might not be your age that’s affecting your ability to enjoy coffee but other factors, some which are set in stone and others which change over time. The University of Bath carried out research investigating how consuming coffee following a night of poor sleep could disrupt your blood sugar levels and impact your metabolism. While age didn’t seem to affect this, lead researcher, Harry Smith, explains some people have a single mutation in one of the genes involved in caffeine metabolism, which could influence how long caffeine stays in your system. “CYP1A2 is the main enzyme responsible for caffeine clearance that results in ‘fast’ and ‘slow’ metaboliser categories. [A mutation] could be why some people are able to have more than five cups without consequence whereas others can only manage one per day [without side effects]. “The half-life for caffeine clearance can range from 1.5 – 9.5 hours!” says Smith. If you’re at the higher-end of that, then clearly, having a coffee later in the day could cause you problems when trying to sleep or if you’re already feeling anxious. Other factors “As with all things metabolism though, I doubt this is the only thing that causes differences in how we tolerate caffeine. Some of the other proposed differences include sex and body composition and there are also behavioural factors that can influence caffeine metabolism like smoking and diet,” says Smith. “There are also links with bodyweight, heaver people generally tolerate more caffeine,” says Thornton-Wood. Also, if you’re going through a stressful or anxious period, coffee might not be your best friend, says Thornton-Wood. “If you already suffer with anxiety then caffeine is likely to exacerbate this. In fact, there’s a recognised ‘caffeine induced anxiety’ disorder.” So, if you’re feeling shaky after your usual cup of joe, consider whether you’re stressed. Drink responsibly When it comes to alcohol, the NHS advises men and women not to drink more than 14 units per week on a regular basis. These units should be spread over 3 or more days. 14 units is equivalent to 6 pints of average-strength beer or 10 small glasses of lower-strength wine. Want to keep the effects of alcohol to a minimum without cutting it out completely? “It’s about moderation, know your limits, intersperse with water or have spritzers, lower alcoholic content drinks,” says Thornton-Wood. When it comes to coffee, the NHS advises that we “drink caffeine in moderation – some people are more sensitive to caffeine than others, depending on how much they drink and how often.” They also advise that people should drink no more than 200mg per day in pregnancy. In terms of ways to reduce your caffeine intake, here are Thorton-Wood’s suggestions, “Intersperse coffee with water or decaf and leave longer spaces between cups. Consider the caffeine strength too. There are differences between various coffee chains and ground coffee is always higher in caffeine than instant.” It’s also worth considering how you’re feeling prior to drinking alcohol or caffeine as both could exacerbate existing conditions. “If you already suffer with anxiety then caffeine is likely to exacerbate this. In fact, there’s a recognised ‘caffeine induced anxiety’ disorder,” says Thornton-Wood. Likewise, alcohol can cause similar issues. If you are concerned about alcohol addiction, help and support is available. Originally published August 2024" }, "content_info": { "domain": "Food & Cooking", "subdomain": "Recipes" } }
{ "$oid": "68bace8ceb3bdbfd0cc0026b" }	e7dfc9f2a977afdbfe12490c887c897e64a2f83fac15efd9f8a78efc17b3f13e	What makes a great kid's packed lunch? https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p064g3b0.jpg Packing lunches is another job to fit into the morning scramble, when there’s no time to get creative and prepare fresh food from scratch. School meals are under more scrutiny than ever and yet kids' packed lunches don't seem to have been touched by the food revolution. In 2020 Leeds University found fewer than two in every 100 packed lunches eaten by children in English primary schools meet nutritional standards. What's so bad about the following lunch? A ham sandwich: a slice of bread can have twice as much salt as a slice of ham. For younger children this sandwich may contain half their recommended daily amount of salt.Cheese crackers: they can have more saturated fat and salt than the same weight of salted crisps. Both snacks are packed with empty calories.Milk chocolate: even a small bar (21g) contains over 2 teaspoons of sugar. That’s more than a third of the recommended daily amount for children.A pot of sweetened fruit yoghurt: can contain over 1 teaspoon of sugar. Check the label of a brand’s plain yoghurt versus their sweetened variety. A ham sandwich: a slice of bread can have twice as much salt as a slice of ham. For younger children this sandwich may contain half their recommended daily amount of salt. Cheese crackers: they can have more saturated fat and salt than the same weight of salted crisps. Both snacks are packed with empty calories. Milk chocolate: even a small bar (21g) contains over 2 teaspoons of sugar. That’s more than a third of the recommended daily amount for children. A pot of sweetened fruit yoghurt: can contain over 1 teaspoon of sugar. Check the label of a brand’s plain yoghurt versus their sweetened variety. The main event Make a little extra of dinner: Mac and cheese or tuna and sweetcorn pasta salad make a filling and nutritious lunch. Kids can also customise their own mini omelettes for a fun, fork-free lunch.Pour boiling water over dried noodles when making your morning tea. Ten minutes later they're ready to toss with some veg for an easy noodle salad to take to school.Hummus is packed with protein and fibre and is very cost-efficient when you make it yourself. Make a large batch and pack it into serving pots for kids to eat with carrot sticks or pitta chips.Wraps make sandwiches into interesting shapes. Choose a wholemeal variety for more fibre and nutrients and pack it with their favourite fillings. Make a little extra of dinner: Mac and cheese or tuna and sweetcorn pasta salad make a filling and nutritious lunch. Kids can also customise their own mini omelettes for a fun, fork-free lunch. Pour boiling water over dried noodles when making your morning tea. Ten minutes later they're ready to toss with some veg for an easy noodle salad to take to school. Hummus is packed with protein and fibre and is very cost-efficient when you make it yourself. Make a large batch and pack it into serving pots for kids to eat with carrot sticks or pitta chips. Wraps make sandwiches into interesting shapes. Choose a wholemeal variety for more fibre and nutrients and pack it with their favourite fillings. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0616ldd.jpg Fruity snacks All your efforts of packing healthy snacks may seem fruitless if you suspect they’re quietly thrown in the bin. Go beyond apples and cucumber sticks to keep them interested, with a few simple tips. Make fruit and veg bite-sized so it's easier and quicker to eat.Cut up a whole melon, mango or pineapple to store in the fridge. It will take seconds to add to lunchboxes.Cut an apple into slices and reassemble around the core, secured with a rubber band. This makes it easier to nibble and it doesn't go brown – genius!Make fruit the dessert: melon, mango and grapes are expensive and taste sweet enough to count as a special treat.Dried fruit is a great snack, but has quite a lot of sugar. Pack the same number of pieces of dried fruit in a serving as you would if it were fresh.Pot up your own yoghurt and top with fruit to avoid extra added sugar from shop-bought products. Make fruit and veg bite-sized so it's easier and quicker to eat. Cut up a whole melon, mango or pineapple to store in the fridge. It will take seconds to add to lunchboxes. Cut an apple into slices and reassemble around the core, secured with a rubber band. This makes it easier to nibble and it doesn't go brown – genius! Make fruit the dessert: melon, mango and grapes are expensive and taste sweet enough to count as a special treat. Dried fruit is a great snack, but has quite a lot of sugar. Pack the same number of pieces of dried fruit in a serving as you would if it were fresh. Pot up your own yoghurt and top with fruit to avoid extra added sugar from shop-bought products. Savoury snacks Batch-make any of these snacks to pack into lunchboxes in the mornings. DIY crumble: a little goes a long way and makes a pot of plain yoghurt or tinned fruit more appealing.Homemade cereal bars take 10 minutes to mix together. They still contain added sugar and fat, but you can be sure of exactly what’s in them.Pitta chips use up stale bread and make excellent dippers. Wholemeal pitta chips have extra fibre, too. Serve with homemade hummus.Oven-baked chickpeas are crisp and crunchy and can be flavoured with a little salt or spices. They don’t cost much and are loaded with nutrients.Chocolate-drizzled rice cakes make a little chocolate go a long way – plus you’ll get extra fibre from the rice cakes.Popcorn takes 5 minutes and can be flavoured in a million ways. Shake over a little sugar-free hot chocolate powder, or go savoury with smoked paprika or chilli powder.Heard of ants on a log? Celery and peanut butter might sound odd, but it's big in America. Combining fruit with nut butters can get protein in a lunch without a boring sandwich. DIY crumble: a little goes a long way and makes a pot of plain yoghurt or tinned fruit more appealing. Homemade cereal bars take 10 minutes to mix together. They still contain added sugar and fat, but you can be sure of exactly what’s in them. Pitta chips use up stale bread and make excellent dippers. Wholemeal pitta chips have extra fibre, too. Serve with homemade hummus. Oven-baked chickpeas are crisp and crunchy and can be flavoured with a little salt or spices. They don’t cost much and are loaded with nutrients. Chocolate-drizzled rice cakes make a little chocolate go a long way – plus you’ll get extra fibre from the rice cakes. Popcorn takes 5 minutes and can be flavoured in a million ways. Shake over a little sugar-free hot chocolate powder, or go savoury with smoked paprika or chilli powder. Heard of ants on a log? Celery and peanut butter might sound odd, but it's big in America. Combining fruit with nut butters can get protein in a lunch without a boring sandwich. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0616lbp.jpg Tips and tricks Think marketing: kids respond to bright colours, shiny packets and fun characters (that’s why companies use them to sell processed foods and costly character-branded snacks). Choose fun lunch boxes or bright mini pots, or draw your own art on disposable food bags. Let kids change their lunchboxes often. Use different sized pots that are easy to open. Don't skimp on good fats: switch to foods that are full of energy and satisfying, but also full of nutrients. Nuts and nut butters (if your school allows), oily fish such as salmon, hummus, or full-fat unsweetened yoghurt fill kids up fast. Combining these with fruit or veg – such as slices of apple and cheese, banana and yoghurt, or celery and peanut butter – can also help increase their five-a-day. Hydration: give children a see-through bottle with small horizontal lines drawn on the side in permanent marker. They can gauge how much water they've drunk throughout the day, and so can you. Originally published May 2018	{ "data_info": { "lang": "en-GB", "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/what_makes_a_great_packed_lunch", "type": "HowTo", "processing_date": "2025-09-05T00:00:00", "delivery_version": "v1.0", "title": "What makes a great kid's packed lunch?", "content": "https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p064g3b0.jpg Packing lunches is another job to fit into the morning scramble, when there’s no time to get creative and prepare fresh food from scratch. School meals are under more scrutiny than ever and yet kids' packed lunches don't seem to have been touched by the food revolution. In 2020 Leeds University found fewer than two in every 100 packed lunches eaten by children in English primary schools meet nutritional standards. What's so bad about the following lunch? A ham sandwich: a slice of bread can have twice as much salt as a slice of ham. For younger children this sandwich may contain half their recommended daily amount of salt.Cheese crackers: they can have more saturated fat and salt than the same weight of salted crisps. Both snacks are packed with empty calories.Milk chocolate: even a small bar (21g) contains over 2 teaspoons of sugar. That’s more than a third of the recommended daily amount for children.A pot of sweetened fruit yoghurt: can contain over 1 teaspoon of sugar. Check the label of a brand’s plain yoghurt versus their sweetened variety. A ham sandwich: a slice of bread can have twice as much salt as a slice of ham. For younger children this sandwich may contain half their recommended daily amount of salt. Cheese crackers: they can have more saturated fat and salt than the same weight of salted crisps. Both snacks are packed with empty calories. Milk chocolate: even a small bar (21g) contains over 2 teaspoons of sugar. That’s more than a third of the recommended daily amount for children. A pot of sweetened fruit yoghurt: can contain over 1 teaspoon of sugar. Check the label of a brand’s plain yoghurt versus their sweetened variety. The main event Make a little extra of dinner: Mac and cheese or tuna and sweetcorn pasta salad make a filling and nutritious lunch. Kids can also customise their own mini omelettes for a fun, fork-free lunch.Pour boiling water over dried noodles when making your morning tea. Ten minutes later they're ready to toss with some veg for an easy noodle salad to take to school.Hummus is packed with protein and fibre and is very cost-efficient when you make it yourself. Make a large batch and pack it into serving pots for kids to eat with carrot sticks or pitta chips.Wraps make sandwiches into interesting shapes. Choose a wholemeal variety for more fibre and nutrients and pack it with their favourite fillings. Make a little extra of dinner: Mac and cheese or tuna and sweetcorn pasta salad make a filling and nutritious lunch. Kids can also customise their own mini omelettes for a fun, fork-free lunch. Pour boiling water over dried noodles when making your morning tea. Ten minutes later they're ready to toss with some veg for an easy noodle salad to take to school. Hummus is packed with protein and fibre and is very cost-efficient when you make it yourself. Make a large batch and pack it into serving pots for kids to eat with carrot sticks or pitta chips. Wraps make sandwiches into interesting shapes. Choose a wholemeal variety for more fibre and nutrients and pack it with their favourite fillings. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0616ldd.jpg Fruity snacks All your efforts of packing healthy snacks may seem fruitless if you suspect they’re quietly thrown in the bin. Go beyond apples and cucumber sticks to keep them interested, with a few simple tips. Make fruit and veg bite-sized so it's easier and quicker to eat.Cut up a whole melon, mango or pineapple to store in the fridge. It will take seconds to add to lunchboxes.Cut an apple into slices and reassemble around the core, secured with a rubber band. This makes it easier to nibble and it doesn't go brown – genius!Make fruit the dessert: melon, mango and grapes are expensive and taste sweet enough to count as a special treat.Dried fruit is a great snack, but has quite a lot of sugar. Pack the same number of pieces of dried fruit in a serving as you would if it were fresh.Pot up your own yoghurt and top with fruit to avoid extra added sugar from shop-bought products. Make fruit and veg bite-sized so it's easier and quicker to eat. Cut up a whole melon, mango or pineapple to store in the fridge. It will take seconds to add to lunchboxes. Cut an apple into slices and reassemble around the core, secured with a rubber band. This makes it easier to nibble and it doesn't go brown – genius! Make fruit the dessert: melon, mango and grapes are expensive and taste sweet enough to count as a special treat. Dried fruit is a great snack, but has quite a lot of sugar. Pack the same number of pieces of dried fruit in a serving as you would if it were fresh. Pot up your own yoghurt and top with fruit to avoid extra added sugar from shop-bought products. Savoury snacks Batch-make any of these snacks to pack into lunchboxes in the mornings. DIY crumble: a little goes a long way and makes a pot of plain yoghurt or tinned fruit more appealing.Homemade cereal bars take 10 minutes to mix together. They still contain added sugar and fat, but you can be sure of exactly what’s in them.Pitta chips use up stale bread and make excellent dippers. Wholemeal pitta chips have extra fibre, too. Serve with homemade hummus.Oven-baked chickpeas are crisp and crunchy and can be flavoured with a little salt or spices. They don’t cost much and are loaded with nutrients.Chocolate-drizzled rice cakes make a little chocolate go a long way – plus you’ll get extra fibre from the rice cakes.Popcorn takes 5 minutes and can be flavoured in a million ways. Shake over a little sugar-free hot chocolate powder, or go savoury with smoked paprika or chilli powder.Heard of ants on a log? Celery and peanut butter might sound odd, but it's big in America. Combining fruit with nut butters can get protein in a lunch without a boring sandwich. DIY crumble: a little goes a long way and makes a pot of plain yoghurt or tinned fruit more appealing. Homemade cereal bars take 10 minutes to mix together. They still contain added sugar and fat, but you can be sure of exactly what’s in them. Pitta chips use up stale bread and make excellent dippers. Wholemeal pitta chips have extra fibre, too. Serve with homemade hummus. Oven-baked chickpeas are crisp and crunchy and can be flavoured with a little salt or spices. They don’t cost much and are loaded with nutrients. Chocolate-drizzled rice cakes make a little chocolate go a long way – plus you’ll get extra fibre from the rice cakes. Popcorn takes 5 minutes and can be flavoured in a million ways. Shake over a little sugar-free hot chocolate powder, or go savoury with smoked paprika or chilli powder. Heard of ants on a log? Celery and peanut butter might sound odd, but it's big in America. Combining fruit with nut butters can get protein in a lunch without a boring sandwich. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0616lbp.jpg Tips and tricks Think marketing: kids respond to bright colours, shiny packets and fun characters (that’s why companies use them to sell processed foods and costly character-branded snacks). Choose fun lunch boxes or bright mini pots, or draw your own art on disposable food bags. Let kids change their lunchboxes often. Use different sized pots that are easy to open. Don't skimp on good fats: switch to foods that are full of energy and satisfying, but also full of nutrients. Nuts and nut butters (if your school allows), oily fish such as salmon, hummus, or full-fat unsweetened yoghurt fill kids up fast. Combining these with fruit or veg – such as slices of apple and cheese, banana and yoghurt, or celery and peanut butter – can also help increase their five-a-day. Hydration: give children a see-through bottle with small horizontal lines drawn on the side in permanent marker. They can gauge how much water they've drunk throughout the day, and so can you. Originally published May 2018" }, "content_info": { "domain": "Food & Cooking", "subdomain": "Recipes" } }
{ "$oid": "68bace8ceb3bdbfd0cc0026c" }	0178b2243a1a0bca9a74381a04b3eb4ce0bb9423c07980bfc2736960017bb6b0	The shopper’s guide to buying the best loaf of bread From the best type to toast, to the most nutritious, what should you look for when buying bread? https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jn0bd2.jpg Look for a short list of ingredients We’re frequently warned about the dangers of eating ultra-processed foods and if you’re buying sliced bread from your supermarket, most of the time it will be classified as a UPF. That’s because “they often contain additives and preservatives, as well as artificial colours, added during production,” says registered dietitian Reema Pillai. “This can even be the case for some wholegrain breads available on the market. Ideally, we want to reduce our intake of UPFs, so if you eat bread often, it is worth considering looking at a better quality, less-processed bread.” However, it’s important to not demonise bread say experts as they also frequently come with lots of nutrients. And it also doesn’t mean you’re your only options are to buy expensive artisan loaves. If you can, just look for options which have as few ingredients as possible. “The shorter the ingredients list, the better. Typically, a good-quality wholemeal bread will contain wholemeal wheat flour, yeast and salt and typically nothing else, except some seeds,” explains Pillai. Want to try making your own loaf? It doesn't come much easier than this Paul Hollywood white bread recipe “Similarly, sourdough contains wheat flour, water and salt and perhaps rye flour. If possible, avoid breads that have added oils, sugars or syrups, preservatives, or artificial additives.” Another option is to look at in-house bakery loaves that many larger supermarkets bake which are similarly priced to pre-sliced brands but have fewer preservatives (still check the ingredient list though). It’s also likely supermarkets will slice them for you. “Even on a tight budget, you can buy good quality wholegrain breads with minimal ingredients,” says Pillai. “Make sure the first ingredient is whole grain or whole wheat flour… Look for a short ingredient list, without any added sugars, preservatives or additives.” Check the fibre content “A good quality bread can be a rich source of fibre, complex carbohydrates and B-Vitamins,” explains nutritionist Jenna Hope. “Fibre plays a vital role in supporting optimal bowel movements and nourishing the beneficial bacteria in the gut. Additionally, both complex carbohydrates and B-Vitamins are pivotal in maintaining energy production.” “Different types of breads are associated with different health benefits. For example, wholegrain bread with seeds will be higher in fibre and have healthier fats than white bread. “Additionally, sourdough bread is fermented and should contain live bacteria which is beneficial for creating a healthy gut microbiome. It’s important to be careful though as ‘sourfaux’ breads are common these days, therefore look for sourdough breads with limited ingredients and traditional fermentation methods,” explains Hope. “Always check the fibre content for the loaf,” adds Pillai. “Ideally, 100g of the bread should contain at least 6g fibre and even better if this is over 8g fibre per 100g. “Looking at per 100g is helpful, as some bread slices will be thicker or thinner than others, so it can be hard to compare slice-for-slice. The higher fibre loaves are usually wholegrain breads with seeds added.” “Rye breads and pumpernickel breads have a lower glycaemic index compared to white bread,” adds Pillai, “meaning it takes longer to digest and leads to a smaller rise in blood sugar levels. Look for one that includes ‘dark rye flour’ to ensure it is wholegrain. Other types of rye bread made from white rye flour or light rye flour, are not whole grains.” While white bread isn’t regarded as the most nutritious it can still have its place says Hope. “White bread has fewer health benefits but can be useful as a pre-workout meal for those engaging in intense activity. Since white bread is lower in fibre, the carbohydrates are released far more quickly and can therefore provide a faster release of energy.” If you’re buying a white loaf “some breads may use fortified flours, which are flours with extra nutrients added such as B vitamins and iron,” says Pillai. Want to know more? BBC's Bitesize team have investigated the nutritional claims made about sandwiches. What’s the best bread for toasting? “As a snack at any time of day, toast unites all taste buds. It's quick to make and easy to eat and the best bit has to be that everyone can choose their favourite topping,” says explains artisan baker Catherine Connor Cooper. However what option should you go for? Pastry chef Neil Dunlop adds, “for toast, I would always go with a thick sliced white or brown. It’s also great to mix it up sometimes – you can’t beat a great toasted bagel or crumpet at the weekend!” Cooper says to think about the practicalities, though – such as the size of your toaster. “A classic tin loaf is the perfect size for a toaster, fitting snug into it. Most seek a classic ground white which is great for the kids.” However, if you’re thinking about topping your toast with more comprehensive toppings – such as meat, eggs, beans or veg, sourdough could be your best option. “Garlic mushrooms on sourdough toast with spinach and tomatoes and a side of scrambled eggs, is my favourite bread-based dish. It’s a classic but nutritious and delicious,” says Hope. And the best bread for sandwiches? This is just going to come down to personal preference say the experts. “For me for me it all depends on the filling of the sandwich,” says Dunlop. “If you’re making a sandwich with wet filling such as pulled pork, I’d use a bread which is sturdier and soaks up the liquid while still providing support but for a basic ham sandwich I would use a soft white or brown sliced loaf.” Use your slow cooker to create pulled pork. It's perfect sandwiched between the bread of your choice However, for Cooper a seeded option appeals more. “You can’t beat a wholegrain. A malted barley or spelt loaf give stunning textures. The additions of linseed and millet often bring great eating textures when combined with the cheeses, cooked meats and the classic egg mayo. It's about giving as much importance to the loaf as you do the fillings. You need a slice, with a soft, light and chewable bite, flavours that enhance taking over.” Originally published September 2024	{ "data_info": { "lang": "en-GB", "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/best_bread_for_health_budget_sandwiches_toast", "type": "HowTo", "processing_date": "2025-09-05T00:00:00", "delivery_version": "v1.0", "title": "The shopper’s guide to buying the best loaf of bread", "content": "From the best type to toast, to the most nutritious, what should you look for when buying bread? https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jn0bd2.jpg Look for a short list of ingredients We’re frequently warned about the dangers of eating ultra-processed foods and if you’re buying sliced bread from your supermarket, most of the time it will be classified as a UPF. That’s because “they often contain additives and preservatives, as well as artificial colours, added during production,” says registered dietitian Reema Pillai. “This can even be the case for some wholegrain breads available on the market. Ideally, we want to reduce our intake of UPFs, so if you eat bread often, it is worth considering looking at a better quality, less-processed bread.” However, it’s important to not demonise bread say experts as they also frequently come with lots of nutrients. And it also doesn’t mean you’re your only options are to buy expensive artisan loaves. If you can, just look for options which have as few ingredients as possible. “The shorter the ingredients list, the better. Typically, a good-quality wholemeal bread will contain wholemeal wheat flour, yeast and salt and typically nothing else, except some seeds,” explains Pillai. Want to try making your own loaf? It doesn't come much easier than this Paul Hollywood white bread recipe “Similarly, sourdough contains wheat flour, water and salt and perhaps rye flour. If possible, avoid breads that have added oils, sugars or syrups, preservatives, or artificial additives.” Another option is to look at in-house bakery loaves that many larger supermarkets bake which are similarly priced to pre-sliced brands but have fewer preservatives (still check the ingredient list though). It’s also likely supermarkets will slice them for you. “Even on a tight budget, you can buy good quality wholegrain breads with minimal ingredients,” says Pillai. “Make sure the first ingredient is whole grain or whole wheat flour… Look for a short ingredient list, without any added sugars, preservatives or additives.” Check the fibre content “A good quality bread can be a rich source of fibre, complex carbohydrates and B-Vitamins,” explains nutritionist Jenna Hope. “Fibre plays a vital role in supporting optimal bowel movements and nourishing the beneficial bacteria in the gut. Additionally, both complex carbohydrates and B-Vitamins are pivotal in maintaining energy production.” “Different types of breads are associated with different health benefits. For example, wholegrain bread with seeds will be higher in fibre and have healthier fats than white bread. “Additionally, sourdough bread is fermented and should contain live bacteria which is beneficial for creating a healthy gut microbiome. It’s important to be careful though as ‘sourfaux’ breads are common these days, therefore look for sourdough breads with limited ingredients and traditional fermentation methods,” explains Hope. “Always check the fibre content for the loaf,” adds Pillai. “Ideally, 100g of the bread should contain at least 6g fibre and even better if this is over 8g fibre per 100g. “Looking at per 100g is helpful, as some bread slices will be thicker or thinner than others, so it can be hard to compare slice-for-slice. The higher fibre loaves are usually wholegrain breads with seeds added.” “Rye breads and pumpernickel breads have a lower glycaemic index compared to white bread,” adds Pillai, “meaning it takes longer to digest and leads to a smaller rise in blood sugar levels. Look for one that includes ‘dark rye flour’ to ensure it is wholegrain. Other types of rye bread made from white rye flour or light rye flour, are not whole grains.” While white bread isn’t regarded as the most nutritious it can still have its place says Hope. “White bread has fewer health benefits but can be useful as a pre-workout meal for those engaging in intense activity. Since white bread is lower in fibre, the carbohydrates are released far more quickly and can therefore provide a faster release of energy.” If you’re buying a white loaf “some breads may use fortified flours, which are flours with extra nutrients added such as B vitamins and iron,” says Pillai. Want to know more? BBC's Bitesize team have investigated the nutritional claims made about sandwiches. What’s the best bread for toasting? “As a snack at any time of day, toast unites all taste buds. It's quick to make and easy to eat and the best bit has to be that everyone can choose their favourite topping,” says explains artisan baker Catherine Connor Cooper. However what option should you go for? Pastry chef Neil Dunlop adds, “for toast, I would always go with a thick sliced white or brown. It’s also great to mix it up sometimes – you can’t beat a great toasted bagel or crumpet at the weekend!” Cooper says to think about the practicalities, though – such as the size of your toaster. “A classic tin loaf is the perfect size for a toaster, fitting snug into it. Most seek a classic ground white which is great for the kids.” However, if you’re thinking about topping your toast with more comprehensive toppings – such as meat, eggs, beans or veg, sourdough could be your best option. “Garlic mushrooms on sourdough toast with spinach and tomatoes and a side of scrambled eggs, is my favourite bread-based dish. It’s a classic but nutritious and delicious,” says Hope. And the best bread for sandwiches? This is just going to come down to personal preference say the experts. “For me for me it all depends on the filling of the sandwich,” says Dunlop. “If you’re making a sandwich with wet filling such as pulled pork, I’d use a bread which is sturdier and soaks up the liquid while still providing support but for a basic ham sandwich I would use a soft white or brown sliced loaf.” Use your slow cooker to create pulled pork. It's perfect sandwiched between the bread of your choice However, for Cooper a seeded option appeals more. “You can’t beat a wholegrain. A malted barley or spelt loaf give stunning textures. The additions of linseed and millet often bring great eating textures when combined with the cheeses, cooked meats and the classic egg mayo. It's about giving as much importance to the loaf as you do the fillings. You need a slice, with a soft, light and chewable bite, flavours that enhance taking over.” Originally published September 2024" }, "content_info": { "domain": "Food & Cooking", "subdomain": "Recipes" } }
{ "$oid": "68bace8deb3bdbfd0cc0026d" }	c01dcb24ea1c42d82e23a847ed1aa08b695a721762ac8d4d6fbc9de78ac23aa3	Make a feast from this budget staple by Romy Gill https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p09rfqwm.jpg The paratha for this kati roll is made from potatoes. See below, under the title ‘Potato parathas’, for a link to the recipe. There are certain ingredients we find it easy to overlook, and so it is with the humble potato. Yet potatoes are so versatile that there are countless ways to prepare them for a side dish, or to give them a starring role in mains from curries to samosas. They can be squeezed onto an unused shelf in the oven above or below whatever you’re cooking, or put centre stage of breakfast, lunch or dinner. Potatoes are an integral part of India’s cuisine, forming the basis of dishes from potato-based curries, through spiced potato cakes, to a flatbread dough made using mashed potato. Because they take on the flavour of whichever spices and oils they’re cooked with, you can make delicious dishes from them without buying lots of extra expensive ingredients. All of the following recipes work well with a good all-rounder, such as the Maris Piper, which is delicious in curries but also good roasted, mashed, fried, chipped or baked. Potatoes as a side dish Spices are paired with potatoes in any number of Indian side dishes. Bombay potatoes are one of the most popular sides, often served alongside a curry. One of my favourite side dishes is aloo chaat, a combination of many flavours and textures all in one bowl. I make it with green chillies, mint and coriander chutney, tamarind chutney, yoghurt, fennel seeds and pomegranate. I also add potatoes to a sabzi, an Indian spiced vegetable dish, to make it more substantial. Potatoes all day There are regional potato dishes throughout India, and potatoes are eaten for every meal. They are cooked as the spiced filling for a crêpe in the Southern Indian breakfast dish, masala dosa. Elsewhere in the country you’ll find a host of potato dishes for every meal, including tender, spiced chunks of potato nestled in crispy samosa pastry; deep-fried balls of spiced mash coated in gram flour known as batata vada; the hearty and satisfying Northern Indian potato and pea curry (aloo dum); potatoes cooked with greens and spices in saag aloo; and potatoes simmered with cauliflower and spices in aloo gobi. The simple baked potato can be taken up a notch with spices – try my recipe for a baked potato filling made with cheese and spices. And vada pav, a roll stuffed with mashed and spiced potato fritters, is also popular. In Bengal, you can enjoy a bhapa aloo, baby potatoes cooked with panch phoron (a Bengali five-spice mix), mustard paste, coconut and curd cheese. In Bihar, litti chokha is one of the most common dishes: stuffed dough balls served with chokha (spicy mashed potatoes or aubergine). During trips to Kashmir, I tasted the hearty and satisfying dum oluv – potatoes simmered in a spicy, red, yoghurt-based gravy. A variation is bharwan dum oluv, in which baby potatoes are stuffed with khoya (curd) or paneer and spices and served in the same rich gravy – a more labour-intensive dish, but especially delicious. As potatoes grew in popularity across India, they began to replace other ingredients in some regional dishes. In Gujarat, potatoes are often added to khichdi (a simple rice and lentil dish) instead of the pulses. In Bihar, the khichdi (known as khichri) is served with aloo ka bharta – mashed potatoes with onions, chilli and mustard oil. Fried potatoes Fried potatoes are common in all sorts of recipes, from Bengali alu bhaja (crispy fried potatoes usually served with rice and dal for lunch) to alu bhujia from Northern India (a dry snack that is almost crisp-like, made with potatoes and gram flour). One of my favourite recipes is aloo tikki, potato patties my mum would make once a week. These are sometimes filled with paneer, sometimes with squashed peas. She served them with spiced chickpeas, on their own, or with chutneys. Potato parathas A potato paratha is a great base for many fillings – including potatoes in the dough makes it very soft, with a texture that is moist but crispy when cooked. I make a kati roll with it. Aloo paratha is stuffed with a spiced potato filling and cooked in ghee or butter, and is a staple in the north, east and west of India. How did potatoes become popular in India? It’s thought the Portuguese introduced potatoes to the Malabar Coast in the south west of India, where they were known as batata. Later in the 17th century, the British East India Company introduced potatoes – known as alu – to Bengal and beyond, and incentivised the poorer members of the community by giving them free potato plants and a small payment to grow them. In 1856, when Nawab Wajid Ali Shah (the last King of Awadh) lost his kingdom and was exiled to Calcutta, it is said his chefs began to add potatoes to biryanis to replace more expensive ingredients like meat. This paved the way for the famous Kolkata biryani, which features golden-brown fried potatoes and mild spice.	{ "data_info": { "lang": "en-GB", "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/potatoes", "type": "HowTo", "processing_date": "2025-09-05T00:00:00", "delivery_version": "v1.0", "title": "Make a feast from this budget staple", "content": "by Romy Gill https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p09rfqwm.jpg The paratha for this kati roll is made from potatoes. See below, under the title ‘Potato parathas’, for a link to the recipe. There are certain ingredients we find it easy to overlook, and so it is with the humble potato. Yet potatoes are so versatile that there are countless ways to prepare them for a side dish, or to give them a starring role in mains from curries to samosas. They can be squeezed onto an unused shelf in the oven above or below whatever you’re cooking, or put centre stage of breakfast, lunch or dinner. Potatoes are an integral part of India’s cuisine, forming the basis of dishes from potato-based curries, through spiced potato cakes, to a flatbread dough made using mashed potato. Because they take on the flavour of whichever spices and oils they’re cooked with, you can make delicious dishes from them without buying lots of extra expensive ingredients. All of the following recipes work well with a good all-rounder, such as the Maris Piper, which is delicious in curries but also good roasted, mashed, fried, chipped or baked. Potatoes as a side dish Spices are paired with potatoes in any number of Indian side dishes. Bombay potatoes are one of the most popular sides, often served alongside a curry. One of my favourite side dishes is aloo chaat, a combination of many flavours and textures all in one bowl. I make it with green chillies, mint and coriander chutney, tamarind chutney, yoghurt, fennel seeds and pomegranate. I also add potatoes to a sabzi, an Indian spiced vegetable dish, to make it more substantial. Potatoes all day There are regional potato dishes throughout India, and potatoes are eaten for every meal. They are cooked as the spiced filling for a crêpe in the Southern Indian breakfast dish, masala dosa. Elsewhere in the country you’ll find a host of potato dishes for every meal, including tender, spiced chunks of potato nestled in crispy samosa pastry; deep-fried balls of spiced mash coated in gram flour known as batata vada; the hearty and satisfying Northern Indian potato and pea curry (aloo dum); potatoes cooked with greens and spices in saag aloo; and potatoes simmered with cauliflower and spices in aloo gobi. The simple baked potato can be taken up a notch with spices – try my recipe for a baked potato filling made with cheese and spices. And vada pav, a roll stuffed with mashed and spiced potato fritters, is also popular. In Bengal, you can enjoy a bhapa aloo, baby potatoes cooked with panch phoron (a Bengali five-spice mix), mustard paste, coconut and curd cheese. In Bihar, litti chokha is one of the most common dishes: stuffed dough balls served with chokha (spicy mashed potatoes or aubergine). During trips to Kashmir, I tasted the hearty and satisfying dum oluv – potatoes simmered in a spicy, red, yoghurt-based gravy. A variation is bharwan dum oluv, in which baby potatoes are stuffed with khoya (curd) or paneer and spices and served in the same rich gravy – a more labour-intensive dish, but especially delicious. As potatoes grew in popularity across India, they began to replace other ingredients in some regional dishes. In Gujarat, potatoes are often added to khichdi (a simple rice and lentil dish) instead of the pulses. In Bihar, the khichdi (known as khichri) is served with aloo ka bharta – mashed potatoes with onions, chilli and mustard oil. Fried potatoes Fried potatoes are common in all sorts of recipes, from Bengali alu bhaja (crispy fried potatoes usually served with rice and dal for lunch) to alu bhujia from Northern India (a dry snack that is almost crisp-like, made with potatoes and gram flour). One of my favourite recipes is aloo tikki, potato patties my mum would make once a week. These are sometimes filled with paneer, sometimes with squashed peas. She served them with spiced chickpeas, on their own, or with chutneys. Potato parathas A potato paratha is a great base for many fillings – including potatoes in the dough makes it very soft, with a texture that is moist but crispy when cooked. I make a kati roll with it. Aloo paratha is stuffed with a spiced potato filling and cooked in ghee or butter, and is a staple in the north, east and west of India. How did potatoes become popular in India? It’s thought the Portuguese introduced potatoes to the Malabar Coast in the south west of India, where they were known as batata. Later in the 17th century, the British East India Company introduced potatoes – known as alu – to Bengal and beyond, and incentivised the poorer members of the community by giving them free potato plants and a small payment to grow them. In 1856, when Nawab Wajid Ali Shah (the last King of Awadh) lost his kingdom and was exiled to Calcutta, it is said his chefs began to add potatoes to biryanis to replace more expensive ingredients like meat. This paved the way for the famous Kolkata biryani, which features golden-brown fried potatoes and mild spice." }, "content_info": { "domain": "Food & Cooking", "subdomain": "Recipes" } }
{ "$oid": "68bace8deb3bdbfd0cc0026e" }	94ec847c6e547ef1dfd8aeb109ccc47997b70f0344272a9f1e4bc5c8903ff899	7 ways to make yourself like healthy food Ever wish you could get as excited about a crunchy salad as you do about cheesy chips? It’s okay to avoid the odd healthy ingredient, but if you’re regularly dodging fruit and veg in favour of carbs and junk food, try these top tips for getting yourself to like more healthy food. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jgym7y.jpg 1. Pick it up and try again Eating food you don’t like may sound masochistic, but it could be the key to changing your mind. “The best way to start liking a new food is to keep trying it. Just a small amount on the side of your plate is a good start,” says dietitian Frankie Phillips. Research conducted with children indicates that repeatedly tasting a previously disliked vegetable over a number of weeks can improve liking of it. In a separate study, children aged 2–6 have been reported to show increased liking and consumption of specific vegetables after being given them daily for 14 days. So, keep trying that cauliflower. If you don’t like it boiled, try it roasted, in cauliflower cheese or in soup! 2. Change your associations Brussels sprouts and cabbage might be regarded with horror by anyone who ate them over-boiled and mushy as a child. “A lot of the way in which we taste food comes from our mind and the expectations that we build up around food”, says Uxshley Caracamo, psychologist at the Food Psychology Clinic. We often form opinions about food as children, and don’t challenge them as adults. But we can change the way we experience foods. Fry Brussels sprouts with bacon and they’ll be unrecognisable. If you’re at a restaurant, order one of your blacklisted foods – you might pick up a positive association if it’s cooked in a way you haven’t tasted before. 3. Pair it with something you like As Mary Poppins put it, “a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down”. Whilst it’s not a good idea to swallow whole spoonfuls of sugar, this mantra is useful. Studies have shown that associative conditioning (pairing foods with liked flavours) can increase liking of a food. Children repeatedly given Brussels sprouts with cream cheese grew to like the sprouts more. When serving a food you don’t like with something you do, gradually reduce the amount of the 'safe’ food. Make a creamy, cheesy gratin with vegetables or fish you’re unsure of, wrap fish you don't like in parma ham or bacon, or add fruit to your yoghurt. 4. Take it slowly Try to eat too many new things in a short period of time and you’re likely to give up. “It is important not to change too much at once… As most of our food-related habits are subconscious, to change our food behaviours requires conscious effort. There is a limit to the amount of willpower we can use at one time”, advises Caracamo. Taste one new flavour at a time, and take breaks if you can’t bear another night experimenting with oily fish or pulses. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p07nvpch.jpg 5. Think positive “If you imagine fruit and vegetables tasting delicious before you eat them, they are much more likely to taste great”, says Caracamo. Yep, you’ve got to think these foods into a positive light. The brain is an incredibly powerful tool, and it can help you overcome your food phobias. So think how juicy and delicious that orange will be, how that bowl of greens is a nutritious power-pack for your body, and see if they taste better. 6. Keep healthy food close by “It really helps if the food is easily available. Having a bowl of fruit on the table, a packet of unsalted nuts and seeds in your bag or a pot of dried fruit next to your breakfast cereal all help to nudge behaviour”, says Phillips. If you don’t have any healthy food around, you’re much more likely to reach for a chocolate bar or packet of crisps. Keep healthy snacks nearby and over time you might start craving them. 7. Don’t give up! It might not be easy to retrain your palette, but it is possible. A study measuring peoples’ reactions to foods with MRI scans of their brains, found giving participants a healthier diet lead to increased desire for healthy food and decreased desire for less healthy food. Don’t push yourself too hard. If you can’t find a version of mushrooms you can stomach, maybe they’re not for you. Just move on to another ingredient, and eventually you’ll find the ingredients you can most enjoy.	{ "data_info": { "lang": "en-GB", "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/how_to_like_healthy_food", "type": "HowTo", "processing_date": "2025-09-05T00:00:00", "delivery_version": "v1.0", "title": "7 ways to make yourself like healthy food", "content": "Ever wish you could get as excited about a crunchy salad as you do about cheesy chips? It’s okay to avoid the odd healthy ingredient, but if you’re regularly dodging fruit and veg in favour of carbs and junk food, try these top tips for getting yourself to like more healthy food. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0jgym7y.jpg 1. Pick it up and try again Eating food you don’t like may sound masochistic, but it could be the key to changing your mind. “The best way to start liking a new food is to keep trying it. Just a small amount on the side of your plate is a good start,” says dietitian Frankie Phillips. Research conducted with children indicates that repeatedly tasting a previously disliked vegetable over a number of weeks can improve liking of it. In a separate study, children aged 2–6 have been reported to show increased liking and consumption of specific vegetables after being given them daily for 14 days. So, keep trying that cauliflower. If you don’t like it boiled, try it roasted, in cauliflower cheese or in soup! 2. Change your associations Brussels sprouts and cabbage might be regarded with horror by anyone who ate them over-boiled and mushy as a child. “A lot of the way in which we taste food comes from our mind and the expectations that we build up around food”, says Uxshley Caracamo, psychologist at the Food Psychology Clinic. We often form opinions about food as children, and don’t challenge them as adults. But we can change the way we experience foods. Fry Brussels sprouts with bacon and they’ll be unrecognisable. If you’re at a restaurant, order one of your blacklisted foods – you might pick up a positive association if it’s cooked in a way you haven’t tasted before. 3. Pair it with something you like As Mary Poppins put it, “a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down”. Whilst it’s not a good idea to swallow whole spoonfuls of sugar, this mantra is useful. Studies have shown that associative conditioning (pairing foods with liked flavours) can increase liking of a food. Children repeatedly given Brussels sprouts with cream cheese grew to like the sprouts more. When serving a food you don’t like with something you do, gradually reduce the amount of the 'safe’ food. Make a creamy, cheesy gratin with vegetables or fish you’re unsure of, wrap fish you don't like in parma ham or bacon, or add fruit to your yoghurt. 4. Take it slowly Try to eat too many new things in a short period of time and you’re likely to give up. “It is important not to change too much at once… As most of our food-related habits are subconscious, to change our food behaviours requires conscious effort. There is a limit to the amount of willpower we can use at one time”, advises Caracamo. Taste one new flavour at a time, and take breaks if you can’t bear another night experimenting with oily fish or pulses. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p07nvpch.jpg 5. Think positive “If you imagine fruit and vegetables tasting delicious before you eat them, they are much more likely to taste great”, says Caracamo. Yep, you’ve got to think these foods into a positive light. The brain is an incredibly powerful tool, and it can help you overcome your food phobias. So think how juicy and delicious that orange will be, how that bowl of greens is a nutritious power-pack for your body, and see if they taste better. 6. Keep healthy food close by “It really helps if the food is easily available. Having a bowl of fruit on the table, a packet of unsalted nuts and seeds in your bag or a pot of dried fruit next to your breakfast cereal all help to nudge behaviour”, says Phillips. If you don’t have any healthy food around, you’re much more likely to reach for a chocolate bar or packet of crisps. Keep healthy snacks nearby and over time you might start craving them. 7. Don’t give up! It might not be easy to retrain your palette, but it is possible. A study measuring peoples’ reactions to foods with MRI scans of their brains, found giving participants a healthier diet lead to increased desire for healthy food and decreased desire for less healthy food. Don’t push yourself too hard. If you can’t find a version of mushrooms you can stomach, maybe they’re not for you. Just move on to another ingredient, and eventually you’ll find the ingredients you can most enjoy." }, "content_info": { "domain": "Food & Cooking", "subdomain": "Recipes" } }
{ "$oid": "68bace8deb3bdbfd0cc0026f" }	abd86d36a197550719a6dec5eca7c397a58f758b418153047e7b940be0afe02e	How to bake cakes and biscuits without eggs Whether you’re caught short or have an allergy, it can be mystifying working out how to bake without eggs. But with a little ingenuity, eggless cakes, biscuits, brownies and meringues can be delicious. There are many substitutes, but it’s important to use the right one for the result you want. Our handy guide walks you through. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p088yr45.jpg Baking powder + bicarb + vinegar This is our favourite swap for fluffy cakes. Eggs give bakes structure and lift, and a little extra raising agent plus an activating acid can handle this too. The swap is unnoticeable in small bakes, such as our vegan muffins and vegan chocolate cupcakes. Likewise, it works like a dream in eggless fluffy pancake mix (okay, not strictly a bake!). You can stretch this solution to a big birthday-style cake, such as our eggless chocolate cake and the luscious vegan chocolate peanut butter cake pictured below. Caution – bakes can be a little dry, and too much raising agent will give a metallic taste. Always sift in bicarbonate of soda so small lumps are evenly distributed. Our eggless lemon drizzle cake gets around any dryness with its post-bake drizzle. Other solutions are to add more milk or yoghurt to the recipe, frost generously, or heap on plenty of whipped cream and fresh fruit. We don’t recommend a formula for this egg replacement because there are too many variables and the results could be unpleasant. It’s best to use a tested recipe. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p073jv12.jpg Vegan chocolate peanut butter cake, from BBC Food. Mashed banana + baking powder Eggs provide tenderness and moisture, and so does mashed banana! It also has a binding effect. Of course, it does taste of, well, bananas. So an egg-free banana cake is just the thing, as are banana muffins. There are plenty of egg-free recipes that have been tested. But if you are replacing egg in an existing recipe: 1 egg = ½ banana (mashed and added to wet ingredients) + ¼ teaspoon of baking powder (added to dry ingredients). Flaxseeds or chia seeds + water The combination of soaked, ground flaxseeds and water makes an incredible egg substitute because it acts as a binder and locks in moisture. Flaxseeds (or golden linseeds) are sold widely and are fairly inexpensive. They do have a little nutty bitterness, so they’re best used in bakes with spice, chocolate or nuts to complement it. Whole flaxseeds will store for longer than ground so, if you can, grind them with a pestle and mortar or a spice or coffee grinder just before using. Flaxseeds are used in our egg-free brownies and vegan carrot cake. 1 egg = 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons of water, soaked for 5-10 minutes. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p088h1dv.jpg Vegan carrot cake made with flaxseeds, from BBC Food. Chia seeds are more expensive than flax, but have less of a distinctive taste. They do show up in a finished cake, but can easily be hidden in a lemon poppyseed, banana or chocolate cake. Some bakers say that chia seeds do not need to be ground, just soaked. 1 egg = ½ tablespoon of chia seeds + 3 tablespoons of water, soaked for 5-10 minutes. Aquafaba https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0759spq.jpg Meringues made with aquafaba, from BBC Food. The water from a tin of chickpeas (not salted) makes a versatile egg-white substitute. It whips to a foam that will make vegan meringues that are pretty indistinguishable from traditional ones. Aquafaba helps bind bakes, as in these chewy-crisp vegan oatmeal raisin cookies. It also adds moisture and chewiness to cookies, such as these egg-free and gluten-free almond cookies, which are a bit like a soft amaretti biscuits. Lightly beaten, it can be used to make vegan French toast too. 1 egg white = 2 tablespoons of aquafaba https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p088h2lp.jpg Oatmeal raisin cookies made with aquafaba, from BBC Food. Silken tofu In baking, blended silken tofu is used in conjunction with extra raising agents and an acidic ingredient such as buttermilk or yoghurt to give a moist, dense result that suits pound cakes, brownies or moist chocolate cakes. Because this balance is tricky to achieve, we don't recommend a formula for substituting silken tofu for eggs, but seek out a tested recipe. Silken tofu also works in unbaked sweet treats, for instance in mousses and puddings like this vegan chocolate mousse, which could double as a pie filling. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p088h53g.jpg Chocolate mousse made with silken tofu, from BBC Food.	{ "data_info": { "lang": "en-GB", "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/how_to_bake_without_eggs", "type": "HowTo", "processing_date": "2025-09-05T00:00:00", "delivery_version": "v1.0", "title": "How to bake cakes and biscuits without eggs", "content": "Whether you’re caught short or have an allergy, it can be mystifying working out how to bake without eggs. But with a little ingenuity, eggless cakes, biscuits, brownies and meringues can be delicious. There are many substitutes, but it’s important to use the right one for the result you want. Our handy guide walks you through. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p088yr45.jpg Baking powder + bicarb + vinegar This is our favourite swap for fluffy cakes. Eggs give bakes structure and lift, and a little extra raising agent plus an activating acid can handle this too. The swap is unnoticeable in small bakes, such as our vegan muffins and vegan chocolate cupcakes. Likewise, it works like a dream in eggless fluffy pancake mix (okay, not strictly a bake!). You can stretch this solution to a big birthday-style cake, such as our eggless chocolate cake and the luscious vegan chocolate peanut butter cake pictured below. Caution – bakes can be a little dry, and too much raising agent will give a metallic taste. Always sift in bicarbonate of soda so small lumps are evenly distributed. Our eggless lemon drizzle cake gets around any dryness with its post-bake drizzle. Other solutions are to add more milk or yoghurt to the recipe, frost generously, or heap on plenty of whipped cream and fresh fruit. We don’t recommend a formula for this egg replacement because there are too many variables and the results could be unpleasant. It’s best to use a tested recipe. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p073jv12.jpg Vegan chocolate peanut butter cake, from BBC Food. Mashed banana + baking powder Eggs provide tenderness and moisture, and so does mashed banana! It also has a binding effect. Of course, it does taste of, well, bananas. So an egg-free banana cake is just the thing, as are banana muffins. There are plenty of egg-free recipes that have been tested. But if you are replacing egg in an existing recipe: 1 egg = ½ banana (mashed and added to wet ingredients) + ¼ teaspoon of baking powder (added to dry ingredients). Flaxseeds or chia seeds + water The combination of soaked, ground flaxseeds and water makes an incredible egg substitute because it acts as a binder and locks in moisture. Flaxseeds (or golden linseeds) are sold widely and are fairly inexpensive. They do have a little nutty bitterness, so they’re best used in bakes with spice, chocolate or nuts to complement it. Whole flaxseeds will store for longer than ground so, if you can, grind them with a pestle and mortar or a spice or coffee grinder just before using. Flaxseeds are used in our egg-free brownies and vegan carrot cake. 1 egg = 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons of water, soaked for 5-10 minutes. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p088h1dv.jpg Vegan carrot cake made with flaxseeds, from BBC Food. Chia seeds are more expensive than flax, but have less of a distinctive taste. They do show up in a finished cake, but can easily be hidden in a lemon poppyseed, banana or chocolate cake. Some bakers say that chia seeds do not need to be ground, just soaked. 1 egg = ½ tablespoon of chia seeds + 3 tablespoons of water, soaked for 5-10 minutes. Aquafaba https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0759spq.jpg Meringues made with aquafaba, from BBC Food. The water from a tin of chickpeas (not salted) makes a versatile egg-white substitute. It whips to a foam that will make vegan meringues that are pretty indistinguishable from traditional ones. Aquafaba helps bind bakes, as in these chewy-crisp vegan oatmeal raisin cookies. It also adds moisture and chewiness to cookies, such as these egg-free and gluten-free almond cookies, which are a bit like a soft amaretti biscuits. Lightly beaten, it can be used to make vegan French toast too. 1 egg white = 2 tablespoons of aquafaba https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p088h2lp.jpg Oatmeal raisin cookies made with aquafaba, from BBC Food. Silken tofu In baking, blended silken tofu is used in conjunction with extra raising agents and an acidic ingredient such as buttermilk or yoghurt to give a moist, dense result that suits pound cakes, brownies or moist chocolate cakes. Because this balance is tricky to achieve, we don't recommend a formula for substituting silken tofu for eggs, but seek out a tested recipe. Silken tofu also works in unbaked sweet treats, for instance in mousses and puddings like this vegan chocolate mousse, which could double as a pie filling. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p088h53g.jpg Chocolate mousse made with silken tofu, from BBC Food." }, "content_info": { "domain": "Food & Cooking", "subdomain": "Recipes" } }
{ "$oid": "68bace8eeb3bdbfd0cc00270" }	f26200ca9b13808c42577329cb425d7efee6851b63c5fdebf7870a1a8b5b2ad6	From jerk chicken to rum punch, how to make Carnival favourites It’s the August bank holiday event that’s been running since the ’60s and celebrates Caribbean culture. This year Notting Hill Carnival takes place 23-25 August. Can't get there this year? Chefs and Caribbean food experts reveal how you can create the taste of Carnival in your own kitchen. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p08p20fk.jpg The diversity of Carnival food Chris Singham – who started Caribbean restaurants Cottons – says his go-to Carnival dish is “jerk chicken, jerk chicken and more jerk chicken, properly cooked in a jerk drum with pimento and sorrel”. But it’s not just the food he loves about the carnival. “There is nothing to compare with the free spirits, colour and glamour. Reggae music blasting from every corner, the smell of home-cooked food lingering, the jostling of people shoulder-to-shoulder in good spirits”, he says. “Caribbean food is so diverse and far reaching, from the French-influenced Martinique and Guadeloupe to the Dutch Antilles and St Maarten; from the Spanish-influenced islands of Margarita and Cuba to the English and Indian-influenced Barbados, Bahamas and Trinidad, and of course the all-encompassing influence of the Arawak Indians in Jamaica that inspired jerk.” Cooking Trinidad-style Chef and cookbook writer Shivi Ramoutar moved to the UK from Trinidad when she was 10 years old, and with her mother a costume designer for carnival, Notting Hill played a big role in her childhood. In fact, she was crowned Junior Carnival Queen at the 1995 event! Shivi specialises in contemporary Caribbean cuisine. Her advice if you’re creating Carnival food at home? “Try to get the big, bold spices that are in Caribbean cuisine and then give it a twist. Something like, jerk pork you can do with a pork shoulder so it’s like pulled pork and it’s got that delicious jerk seasoning. Then with that meat, I throw it with tacos, rice or bao buns. “Having scotch bonnet pepper sauce in your cupboard is important because a couple of dashes in a stew or curry can immediately give it oomph. You can buy it or make your own. “We’re all about the spices and herbs, and green seasoning – which is a mixture of parsley, coriander, onion, thyme, lime and garlic – is great. Blitz leftover herbs together and freeze it, then you can add it to dishes. A little touch of allspice in rice will give it a wonderful warmth. And coconut milk always adds a nice tropical touch”. If you’re making Trinidadian food for the first time, Brian Danclair, the chef behind Brixton restaurant Fish, Wings and Tings, advises “start with something like a curry chicken, which doesn’t use a lot of spice but does use lots of herbs. Many dishes are really straightforward. There are key ingredients like cassava, which is used as a starch. One our most popular dishes (at the restaurant) is the creole Accra – also known as salt cod fritters. Growing up in Trinidad… we were surrounded by all kinds of food: Indian, Spanish, Latino, Chinese, it all comes together there. One dish that characterises the nation is callaloo, and that’s my favourite. It resembles a West African dish, where they put okra and spinach with hot peppers and meats, but we put crabs in it.” What's Shivi's favourite Notting Hill Carnival meal? “Roti definitely! Between islands, there’s a bit of rivalry over who does the best, so I’d say they’re all great… The roti is filled with curry, and it’s carbohydrate so will fill you up ready for dancing!” Carnival Jamaica-style Chefs and brothers Craig and Shaun McAnuff, creators of Original Flava, head to Notting Hill every year. “It’s the only day you don’t worry about your troubles, you just go to have a good time”, says Craig. He told us about the food he loves to eat at Carnival. “Jerk chicken, curried goat. And Jamaican festivals – which is a fried dumpling and is sweet and flour-based – you can have it with curried goat or by itself. “Oh patties as well! They’re one of my favourite dishes for on the go. So a lot of Carnival food is for eating quickly, but also needs to be filling and flavourful. Because often at Carnival you’re drinking rum punch too, so you need to fill your stomach!” A good rum punch “doesn’t need to be fancy, you don’t need to have a teaspoon of this or teaspoon of that, it’s just the key ingredients thrown into the mixer. You include grenadine, sugar syrup, bitters, a squeeze of lemon, bit of orange juice, bit of pineapple juicey, and of course white rum. And then you can throw in orange and pineapple pieces as well as lemon pieces just to give you that extra fruity taste.” If you’re making Jamaican food at home for the first time, “you need scotch bonnets, thyme, garlic, lots of bell peppers and ginger, just lots of fresh ingredients. With seasoning, allspice is good and pimento seeds. There’s also a pimento berry – it’s subtle, like a spicy kick rather than a harsh spice, and you use it a lot for the aroma. It’s a key ingredient in the jerk process as well”. Below they show you how to make their jerk beef burger. Craig and Shaun McAnuff of Original Flava show you how to make jerk beef burgers. Barbados food is “savoury, saucy and bold” “Barbados is home to Caribbean-style comfort food like macaroni pie, casseroles and coucou, a fine polenta with embedded okra topped with a spicy creole sauce”, says food scientist Taymer Mason-Marshall. She has published cookery books on plant-based Caribbean cuisine, and has some great ideas for celebrating Carnival vegan-style. “People are looking for portable foods and it is all about street food. One of my favourite things is super spicy fish fritters, aka Bajan fishcakes. To veganize this I use salted eggplant and crushed nori as a stand in for salted cod. If you’re making plant-based Caribbean food at home, she says you should always have “onions, fresh herbs, plantain (not just for frying), a lot of beans, and Caribbean green seasoning”. Originally published August 2020. Updated August 2025	{ "data_info": { "lang": "en-GB", "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/carnival", "type": "HowTo", "processing_date": "2025-09-05T00:00:00", "delivery_version": "v1.0", "title": "From jerk chicken to rum punch, how to make Carnival favourites", "content": "It’s the August bank holiday event that’s been running since the ’60s and celebrates Caribbean culture. This year Notting Hill Carnival takes place 23-25 August. Can't get there this year? Chefs and Caribbean food experts reveal how you can create the taste of Carnival in your own kitchen. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p08p20fk.jpg The diversity of Carnival food Chris Singham – who started Caribbean restaurants Cottons – says his go-to Carnival dish is “jerk chicken, jerk chicken and more jerk chicken, properly cooked in a jerk drum with pimento and sorrel”. But it’s not just the food he loves about the carnival. “There is nothing to compare with the free spirits, colour and glamour. Reggae music blasting from every corner, the smell of home-cooked food lingering, the jostling of people shoulder-to-shoulder in good spirits”, he says. “Caribbean food is so diverse and far reaching, from the French-influenced Martinique and Guadeloupe to the Dutch Antilles and St Maarten; from the Spanish-influenced islands of Margarita and Cuba to the English and Indian-influenced Barbados, Bahamas and Trinidad, and of course the all-encompassing influence of the Arawak Indians in Jamaica that inspired jerk.” Cooking Trinidad-style Chef and cookbook writer Shivi Ramoutar moved to the UK from Trinidad when she was 10 years old, and with her mother a costume designer for carnival, Notting Hill played a big role in her childhood. In fact, she was crowned Junior Carnival Queen at the 1995 event! Shivi specialises in contemporary Caribbean cuisine. Her advice if you’re creating Carnival food at home? “Try to get the big, bold spices that are in Caribbean cuisine and then give it a twist. Something like, jerk pork you can do with a pork shoulder so it’s like pulled pork and it’s got that delicious jerk seasoning. Then with that meat, I throw it with tacos, rice or bao buns. “Having scotch bonnet pepper sauce in your cupboard is important because a couple of dashes in a stew or curry can immediately give it oomph. You can buy it or make your own. “We’re all about the spices and herbs, and green seasoning – which is a mixture of parsley, coriander, onion, thyme, lime and garlic – is great. Blitz leftover herbs together and freeze it, then you can add it to dishes. A little touch of allspice in rice will give it a wonderful warmth. And coconut milk always adds a nice tropical touch”. If you’re making Trinidadian food for the first time, Brian Danclair, the chef behind Brixton restaurant Fish, Wings and Tings, advises “start with something like a curry chicken, which doesn’t use a lot of spice but does use lots of herbs. Many dishes are really straightforward. There are key ingredients like cassava, which is used as a starch. One our most popular dishes (at the restaurant) is the creole Accra – also known as salt cod fritters. Growing up in Trinidad… we were surrounded by all kinds of food: Indian, Spanish, Latino, Chinese, it all comes together there. One dish that characterises the nation is callaloo, and that’s my favourite. It resembles a West African dish, where they put okra and spinach with hot peppers and meats, but we put crabs in it.” What's Shivi's favourite Notting Hill Carnival meal? “Roti definitely! Between islands, there’s a bit of rivalry over who does the best, so I’d say they’re all great… The roti is filled with curry, and it’s carbohydrate so will fill you up ready for dancing!” Carnival Jamaica-style Chefs and brothers Craig and Shaun McAnuff, creators of Original Flava, head to Notting Hill every year. “It’s the only day you don’t worry about your troubles, you just go to have a good time”, says Craig. He told us about the food he loves to eat at Carnival. “Jerk chicken, curried goat. And Jamaican festivals – which is a fried dumpling and is sweet and flour-based – you can have it with curried goat or by itself. “Oh patties as well! They’re one of my favourite dishes for on the go. So a lot of Carnival food is for eating quickly, but also needs to be filling and flavourful. Because often at Carnival you’re drinking rum punch too, so you need to fill your stomach!” A good rum punch “doesn’t need to be fancy, you don’t need to have a teaspoon of this or teaspoon of that, it’s just the key ingredients thrown into the mixer. You include grenadine, sugar syrup, bitters, a squeeze of lemon, bit of orange juice, bit of pineapple juicey, and of course white rum. And then you can throw in orange and pineapple pieces as well as lemon pieces just to give you that extra fruity taste.” If you’re making Jamaican food at home for the first time, “you need scotch bonnets, thyme, garlic, lots of bell peppers and ginger, just lots of fresh ingredients. With seasoning, allspice is good and pimento seeds. There’s also a pimento berry – it’s subtle, like a spicy kick rather than a harsh spice, and you use it a lot for the aroma. It’s a key ingredient in the jerk process as well”. Below they show you how to make their jerk beef burger. Craig and Shaun McAnuff of Original Flava show you how to make jerk beef burgers. Barbados food is “savoury, saucy and bold” “Barbados is home to Caribbean-style comfort food like macaroni pie, casseroles and coucou, a fine polenta with embedded okra topped with a spicy creole sauce”, says food scientist Taymer Mason-Marshall. She has published cookery books on plant-based Caribbean cuisine, and has some great ideas for celebrating Carnival vegan-style. “People are looking for portable foods and it is all about street food. One of my favourite things is super spicy fish fritters, aka Bajan fishcakes. To veganize this I use salted eggplant and crushed nori as a stand in for salted cod. If you’re making plant-based Caribbean food at home, she says you should always have “onions, fresh herbs, plantain (not just for frying), a lot of beans, and Caribbean green seasoning”. Originally published August 2020. Updated August 2025" }, "content_info": { "domain": "Food & Cooking", "subdomain": "Recipes" } }